BoehringerTalks: Recent Episodes
Boehringer Laboratories
Welcome to BoehringerTalks, the show where we answer questions you have using our 50 years of industry knowledge and expertise. Tune in every Wednesday for a new episode discussing our products and related clinical topics. --- (The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of Boehringer Laboratories, LLC. as a whole. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only.)
You want to know, “Are you on my GPO?”
We need to know, “Suction Regulators: Capital or Commodity?”
The answer to this simple question may determine where our suction regulators are contracted.
Incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD), sometimes referred to as perineal dermatitis, is an inflammation of the skin associated with exposure to urine or stool. IAD effects are costly, painful, and, for the most part, preventable. Although further research is required to evaluate the effectiveness of the various available interventions, it can be assumed that those solutions that result in a drier patient can effectively prevent IAD.
According to the National Safety Council, falls are one of the leading causes of accidental injuries in the U.S. These unintentional falls account for roughly 8.9 million visits to the emergency department each year.
When you think about your robot-assisted bariatric surgeries and reflect on how efficient you have become with as technologically advanced a machine as there is, what is one part of the process you find could be improved? For many, the answer does not lie with the robotic apparatus, such as Intuitive's da Vinci® Surgical System, but instead with the calibration device used during their procedures.
Boehringer's 4th Value is "We provide the opportunity to grow professionally for those who have chosen to join us in our Mission." This week, Brit interviews Ed Pearlstein, the VP of Sales and National Accounts, on his experience with the Villanova College of Professional Studies: Leadership Certificate course.
An Outpatient Surgery Magazine articleprompts us to think about the small steps it takes to move towards a more sustainable surgery. Claire Duncan proposes that "do no harm," while it guides the culture of patient care, also can extend to the environment. The article focuses on O.R.s, but this same philosophy can be attributed to other aspects of the hospital.
A March 2022 article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that among patients with obesity, weight loss achieved with surgery, compared with no surgery, was associated with a significantly lower risk of hospitalization, need for supplemental oxygen, and severe disease after contracting COVID-19 infection.
Suction regulators play a vital part in medical management, from removing hemorrhages in an emergency to maintaining an appropriate vacuum for gastrointestinal secretions, appearing in nearly every patient care area of the hospital. They convert the facility's central gas system to a reduced level safe for patient use, limiting the total pressure generated by the primary vacuum system to a level appropriate for surgical applications and waste gas disposal.
Whenever we go into a Biomed shop and see bins of broken plastic suction regulators, we see not only wasted capital but also wasted future human capital. Your BioMed shop can't afford to be a jobs program—not in the twenty-first century. The most expensive thing a hospital buys in any given year is the staff.
While suction is one of the most used treatments in a medical facility, it is also possibly the most misunderstood. Medical flow is an act of fluid, or air, running smoothly through a tube from the patient to the collection canister. Flow is affected by various other factors, such as the diameter of the tubing.
Brit interviews Senior Regional Sales Director, Brandon Castro, about "Mastering the Complex Sales: How to Compete and Win When the Stakes Are High!" by Jeff Thull. According to GoodReads, "It presents The Prime Process--a diagnostic, customer-centered approach that clearly sets you apart from your competition and positions you with respect and credibility as a valued and trusted advisor." Brandon tells us what he learned from the book and why he recommends you read it!
Many surgeons report an improved temperament and less mental fatigue if music plays during a procedure, suggesting that it may enhance their performance. However, surgeons also feel that background music makes communication more difficult and increases the likelihood of distraction. So....how does background music affect the focus and performance of surgeons and their teams?
External female urinary management systems work to reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). However, reports have been filed that specific systems increase the rate of hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs). The greater the incidence of CAUTIs and HAPIs, the more likely a hospital is subjected to a payment reduction.
The Foley catheter was designed and introduced in the early 1930s as a reliable, self-retaining, balloon-tipped catheter for continuous bladder drainage.
The best way to determine your clinical need is to look at the various interventions you do: Emergency Suction, Oral Suction, Closed Suctioning, Nasogastric Drainage, Subglottic Suction, and Chest Drainage.
The goal of the pump-mounted WAGD, like that on the Boehringer Laboratories VAVD Controllers, is to be slightly above the sweep flow, to gently pull the anesthetic gas and room air into the scavenge line. By doing so, you safely and successfully scavenge waste anesthetic gas and protect your operating room personnel.
Brit interviews Project Engineer Will Dackis about "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi. According to GoodReads, When Breath Becomes Air is "a profoundly moving, exquisitely observed memoir by a young neurosurgeon faced with a terminal cancer diagnosis who attempts to answer the question 'What makes a life worth living?' Will tells us what he learned from the book and why he recommends you read it!
When using female external catheters (FECs) such as PureWick® and PrimaFit®, the location of the suction canister is a crucial and often overlooked aspect of the clinical setup.
Critical Care patients typically require above-average equipment use, meaning an increased need for suction and electrical ports. Supplemental oxygen is great, but you need an open airway. Wheeling equipment into a room is easy, but changes to the piped-in medical gases are much more difficult. Boehringer has been developing engineered solutions to expand your access to suction for more than a decade.
Hospitals utilize both multi and single-use bougies. While manufacturers’ recommendations for cleaning and maintenance require high-level disinfection of bougies, many hospitals do not adhere to these standards. As a single-use device, VISIGI® eliminates any concern about cross-contamination.
On September 16, 2021, General Surgery News released an article headlined “Bariatric Surgery Decreases Hospital Admissions for Diastolic Heart Failure,” which summarizes new research presented at the 2021 annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (abstract A008).
Every suction collection circuit must use a suction canister to prevent fluids from entering the regulator and central suction system. These canisters will employ a shutoff mechanism to avoid overflow. Either by human error or manufacturing defects, the shutoff mechanisms can fail and flood the suction regulator and central suction system. A trap bottle prevents gross fluid infiltration into the regulator. Since trap bottles are not a bacterial barrier, the notion that they are needed to avoid contamination from entering your central suction system is likewise an urban myth.
Brit interviews New Business Development Manager Katherine Martin about a book she recently read, "Can't Hurt Me" by David Goggins. According to Amazon, "In Can't Hurt Me, he shares his astonishing life story and reveals that most of us tap into only 40% of our capabilities. Goggins calls this The 40% Rule, and his story illuminates a path that anyone can follow to push past pain, demolish fear, and reach their full potential." Katherine tells us what she learned from the book and why she recommends you read it!
Nothing is worse than unpacking a brand-new device only to learn it doesn’t work. It could be a fancy new set of headphones or a shiny new kitchen gadget, but everyone at some point in their life has experienced dashed hopes when removing a new product out of the box, only for it not to work. Out-of-box failure is the bane of any industry, especially for medical devices.
The definition for “sterile,” as indicated by the Oxford Dictionary, means “free from bacteria or other living microorganisms; totally clean.” For many years, the general understanding has been that urine is sterile. That you can drink it if you have no water readily available. Thanks to researchers at the Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, we have found this untrue (at least about the sterile part).
The VISIMAX® Laparoscopic Smoke Evacuation System integrates easily with robotic surgical systems, effectively supplying high flow smoke clearance while increasing the efficiency of your O.R. workflow.
One of the most critical considerations in the design of almost anything is the materials used. This consideration is especially vital in a medical device, as the material forms the foundation that enables the device’s proper functioning.
Vacuum-Assisted Venous Drainage (VAVD) is an augmented approach to drawing blood from the patient into the Heart-Lung Machine and one of the hundreds of unique devices and techniques that formulate cardiac surgery. The Boehringer Laboratories VAVD Controller (model 3931) is a Suction Regulator indicated explicitly for use with cardiopulmonary bypass.
A suction regulator is an essential piece of equipment in virtually every area of the Hospital where there are patients. These devices perform critically and sometimes life-saving procedures on a routine basis.
Deep tissue injury (DTI) is a pressure ulcer or pressure sore. The severity of pressure ulcers can vary from inconvenient, with treatment at a basic nursing level, to severe and life-threatening complications, such as blood poisoning.
The VISIMAX® smoke evacuation system is a disposable product that allows hospitals to bring the same capabilities of capital insufflation system into their ORs without the expensive price tag. Compatible with laparoscopic, robotic, and other minimally invasive procedures, including TAMIS, the VISIMAX® system is a flexible option that can be quickly deployed when and where it’s needed. Today’s medical purchasing climate calls for lower costs and higher flexibility — the VISIMAX® system can do both.
Preventative maintenance is the regular activity performed on a piece of equipment to lessen the likelihood of failing. Logic dictates that the probability of a failure is dependent on how well something is designed and constructed in combination with the frequency of use in a given environment. However, there is no preventative maintenance required on a Boehringer Suction Regulator. As long as you don’t suction bodily fluids through it, you can count on the regulator functioning until you retire.
With the launch of ViSiGi®, the first FDA-approved calibration system intended for sleeve gastrectomy, we have overcome all of the previous challenges by OG bougies. We have provided a safe and cost-effective way for surgeons to improve their clinical results.
TransAnal Minimally Invasive Surgery (TAMIS) allows a surgeon to remove lesions through the anal cavity rather than creating incisions in the abdomen and laparoscopically dissecting the bowel. The VISIMAX® smoke evacuation system easily integrates into the GelPOINT® by attaching the two lure locks along the outer rim. Insufflation can then be done through GelPOINT® trocar with the Y-connection, giving your TAMIS procedures high flow smoke evacuation, pneumo protection, and flexibility at a lower cost point.
The CareDry® antimicrobial sponge actively protects against developing microorganisms to inhibit harmful bacterial formation. The smooth medical-grade foam of the CareDry® sponge contains two antimicrobials bonded to the foam matrix of the sponge: Zinc Omadine (Zinc, 2-pyridinethiol-l-oxide) and Thiabendazole (2-(4-Thiazolyl)-1H-benzimidazole).
Robotic surgery has created and continues to generate surgical opportunities that were not possible with conventional laparoscopic instrumentation. Boehringer Laboratories welcomes the growing popularity of robotic-assisted surgical systems and will continue to offer clinician-focused solutions to new challenges for many years to come.