SENGSTAKEN-BLAKEMORE TUBE

Course overview

IN 1950 ROBERT W. SENGSTAKEN AND ARTHUR H. BLAKEMORE RECOGNIZED THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF BLOOD BANKS AND THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE PATIENTS WITH LARGE QUANTITIES OF BLOOD QUICKLY WAS SAVING LIVES, ESPECIALLY IN CASES OF HEMORRHAGING ESOPHAGEAL VARICES; HOWEVER, TRANSFUSION ALONE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR THESE PATIENTS. ENDOSCOPIC BAND LIGATION EVENTUALLY DEVELOPED AS THE TREATMENT OF CHOICE FOR ESOPHAGEAL VARICES ALONG WITH SCLEROTHERAPY. UNFORTUNATELY, EVEN WHEN PRACTICING AT A LOCATION WITH A READILY AVAILABLE GASTROENTEROLOGIST, THE ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURES ARE NOT ALWAYS SUCCESSFUL. IN THESE SCENARIOS, THE BALLOON TAMPONADE TECHNIQUE MAY BE A LIFESAVING TRANSITORY MEASURE TO CONTROL THE HEMORRHAGE. THIS ACTIVITY EDUCATES THE LEARNER ON THE ANATOMY, INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, REQUIRED SUPPLIES, TECHNIQUE, COMPLICATIONS, AND THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM FOR SENGSTAKEN-BLAKEMORE TUBE PLACEMENT IN THESE SCENARIOS.