In the preparation for the 19th World Congress on Disaster & Emergency Medicine held in Cape Town – AfJEM asked African Emergency Medicine lovers something interesting –
“Can you hack, concoct, devise or contrive a wanted resource using only locally available materials? You can..? Really..? Now you can show it off & win some amazing prizes”
The rules of engagement we were given were:
- You can only use materials that are locally available
- Your end-product should have comparable functionality to the product it aims to replace
- It should be simple to hack, concoct, devise or contrive
- It should be novel (not have been described before)
#badEM authors & friends quickly went hard at work to submit our “tricks of the trade” & were excited to hear about the entries at the conference. After numerous entries Dr Stevan Bruijns & the AfJEM team voted for a Top 5; described below.
5th Place – Kat Evans @kat__evans
Nasal Atomisation without the Device
There is a need for rapid administration of analgesia to certain groups of patients who present to the Emergency Centre, however frequently this is delayed whilst awaiting intravenous access. Intranasal drug administration is an alternative rapid, low tech option which requires minimal training. Commercially designed ‘Mucosal Atomisation Devices’ are not often available in Western Cape Emergency Centres which likely leads to this option not being frequently utilised.
An adapted technique of intra-nasal drug administration is demonstrated in the attached photographs utilising a 3 way stopcock, IV cannula, oxygen/air source & syringe. See images attached.
Uses of Intranasal medications:
1. Analgesia
2. Sedation / Seizure control
3. Antidotes eg Naloxone
4. Epistaxis management
5. Topical anaesthetics
6. Hypoglycaemia management eg glucagon
Check out www.intranasal.net for more information on the intranasal route of drug administration.
