EZ IO needle replacement

[tniuqs]

Firstly: I am always curious about the FDA placing "expiry dates" on bloody everything, just how does metal and plastic in a sealed plasticised sterile container go "bad" in the first place, other ther than exposed to direct sunlight, moisture, and getting beat up in a soft case. I send all my 'expired" whatever's to a NGO organization that I support and all the stuff (especially dried Antibiotics in sealed vials, they are VERY happy to get those) go to humanitarian 3 rd world crisis zones.

Where are my manners .. Shalom EMT -P Israeli, first post is always an opportunity to welcome.

Apologies in advance to OP for going off topic a tad, I do not presently have an IO device on my truck and would very much like to hear the the advantages disadvantages that providers have had. The EZ IO was on a car in I worked but never had a opportunity to use it, have only seen the BIG inadvertently discharged into a "students hand" during an in-service (not the best impression from day one).. the spring actuated I would believe is not as superior to hand control for a number of reasons.

WE had some excellent Israeli's on this site at one time (IMHO the more diversification world wide, that we can get the stronger we become as a profession through communication) speaking personally your system and education is seriously excellent for some rather obvious reasons, the triage system and transport is simply astounding compared to where I reside. I would love to visit again sometime soon. (my piggy bank permitting) Gosh it is HOT there. WE had (past tense) a friend that was a great contributor to this EMT City website and we learned much from her, a great heart and worldly prospective, many of us communicated for years with her. Call sign asy she was (a wannabe Pirate) has been missing in action from this venue and very sadly for quite some time, she is in my prayers that she has not become a statistic in one way or another. ... ok enough smultz ... back to the IO convo.

cheers

[Just Plain Ruff]

Squint, I don't believe that these can be fully construed to be a expiration date. More of a best used by date.

That might be the reason why the company isn't fulfilling it's promises.

But how many calls do you run in a year that require an IO? I'll bet that you won't run enough calls by the date of expiration on the needles to replace what you use.

I know that sounded confusing but here's what I mean

you purchase the 2 IO devices with 10 needles of each size. You have to have 10 of each size needle well because EZ IO tells you you need to. . Expiration is in 3 years. Do you honestly think you are going to have 60 patients that require IO's in that 3 years?

So EZ IO has just made a bundle of money off your service full well knowing that you won't be using all those needles that they said you JUST had to have.

nuff said.

[tniuqs]

I do pay attention to expiry dates on milk ...

[crotchitymedic1986]

It really doesn't matter what you were "told", the only thing that matters is what is in writing. I am betting some eager salespeople told you whatever you needed to hear to sell you the system.

[Vorenus]

Hm, just as the others said: anything that`s not written is useless.

In my former service we could swap our expired meds with the clinics apothecary (the initial supplier), six months before they actually expired.

That was a real good deal in my opinion. Especially with meds like Oxytocin or Partusisten (never used either in the field).

[epipusher]

I absolutely love the I.O. drills. Our service uses them so frequently we haven't had an issue with them expiring. Also, we now do humerus only. Big fan.

[HERBIE1]

Like many of our medical supplies- IO needles included, we have replacement agreements with the local hospitals. If they happen to run out of an item, we can go to another facility. We also have strict guidelines regarding when we need to exchange soon to expire medications/items. That said, it is not uncommon for us to be forced to hang onto a infrequently used specialty item past the expiration date-like a WMD antidote kit until a replacement can be secured. We of course have been assure that the medications will still be effective.

As some have said/implied here, often times those dates are indeed only suggestions. If properly stored and protected, many of these items are perfectly effective and safe long past those dates. The problem is, unless you are the only person who handles these items, you have no idea if that medication or item could have been exposed to extreme temperatures, humidity, or excessively rough handling that could damage it.

Example- "expired" autoclaved items in hospitals (surgical trays, suture trays, chest tube trays, etc) are removed from their packaging and resterilized but we're also talking primarily about durable metals in those instances.