She had a right shoulder replacement the week before, and a history of left breast cancer (no IV’s on the left side due to issues with her lymph nodes). On this particular study, there needs to be a large bore IV so the contrast can flow at a very fast rate without blowing the vein. Just the other day, I had a patient that was to have a coronary study done. It helps to have another set of hands there to turn the light on when you get it started, but it is not necessary.

Make sure you are cleaning both the light and the IV site with alcohol prior to starting the IV. I’ve started the IV in both the dark or with the lights on, but I find it easier to do in the dark, as weird as that sounds. I move the light around, up and down their arm until I find what I think is a suitable vein. Kind of like when you were a kid and shone the flashlight on the palm of your had to illuminate everything that’s in your hand (who am I kidding, you do this every time you get a new light). But I’ve found that turning out the light in the room, placing the Surefire Sidekick on the patients arm at the highest setting (300 lumens), will make their veins stand out. I don’t have the money to go out and get me one of those neat “vein finders” that have hit the market in recent years. When you get a patient that is a “hard stick”, there is no bone drilling that you can do, no external jugulars… So, I do what any other fireman would do get creative. One thing that you should understand, is that when patients come in for these studies and need an IV, it is WAY different than what would be considered “acceptable” while working on the rescue at the FD. I’m a glorified paramedic that starts IV’s for CT and MRI contrast studies. The idea to share what is becoming one of my favorite ways to use the Surefire Sidekick came to me the other day when I was working my second job.

Surefire sidekick