Clever Technique to Avoid Hemospray Catheter Occlusion

JA Tau. Gastroenterology and Endoscopy News (July 14, 2022): Open Accss: EndoHacks: Thinking Outside the Traditional Endoscopy Box Optimizing Hemospray Delivery With Bone Wax

“Catheter occlusion, which occurs when the powder contacts blood or fluid within the catheter, is the main technical obstacle to successful powder delivery. Here is a cost-effective technique that overcomes this issue via the addition of a protective bone wax plug and stopcock (VideoGIE. 2021;6(9):387-389).”

“To set up, a tiny piece of bone wax is shaped into a 1-mm bead and applied to the tip of the 7 or 10 Fr delivery catheter (Figure 1). The catheter is then affixed to the Luer-lock end of a 3-way stopcock. The activated hemostatic powder device and an air-filled syringe are attached to the remaining ends of the stopcock. The stopcock initially is turned to oppose the device (Figure 2)…To fire without drying the working channel or air flushing the catheter, pass the bone wax–tipped catheter down the channel. The catheter tip is protected from moisture, and fluid can be suctioned, especially when using the 7 Fr catheter in a therapeutic gastroscope. When ready to fire, the bone wax plug is ejected with an air flush (Figure 3), the stopcock is turned to oppose the syringe (Figure 4), and the hemostatic powder is deployed.”

My take: If you follow the hemospray instructions carefully, this minimizes issues with catheter occlusion. This clever technique is likely to further eliminate this problem.