How to use Scalpel Blade

1
How to use Scalpel Blade

• Introduction
• How to Install a Scalpel Blade
• How to Remove a Scalpel Blade

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
2
How to use Scalpel Blade

• Scalpel blades like all sharps are inherently
  dangerous and should be used only when necessary.
  Do not use it to cut papers, tapes, plastic bags
  as there are other more appropriate instruments
  for such use.
• Use blunt manual dissection or curved surgical
  scissors to when prosecting and dissecting. Use a
  scalpel blade only when necessary.
• Only one person should be handling the scalpel
  blade at any one time.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
3
How to use Scalpel Blade

• Always keep the scalpel blades in clear view on
  the tray / table, away from the specimen, pools
  of blood, tissues and other instruments.
• Pass the blade to another person by placing the
  blade on the table for the other person to take
  it from the table. Avoid passing the blade to one
  another directly.
• The scalpel blade is not a pointing device and
  should never be used to point to an object of
  interest in a specimen or to gesticulate in
  general.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
4
How to use Scalpel Blade

• Great caution should be used in the vicinity of
  the person holding the a blade. Personnel
  assisting in holding a specimen should be keep
  watch of the position of the blade at all times.
• Do not use a scalpel blade bare, use a scalpel
  blade handle. Do not fashion a scalpel blade
  handle from the packing package or other
  materials.
• Cutting in haste with the scalpel blade increases
  the danger of handling the instrument.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
5
How to use Scalpel Blade

• Only 1 scalpel blade should be opened and used on
  the cutting area at any time. A new blade should
  be procured only after the old blade has been
  properly discarded.
• Drop a used blade into the sharps container. Do
  not pushed into the sharps container. Sharps
  containers should be emptied regularly to avoid
  overfilling.
• Ensure adequate supplies of blades and a sharps
  container before starting

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Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
6
How to Install a Scalpel Blade

• Get the correct size blade for the blade holder.
  The size is on both the blade handle and the
  blade itself.
• With the blade pointing away from you, open the
  blade packet exposing the blade lock hole.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
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How to Install a Scalpel Blade

• Parts of a Scalpel Blade and Scalpel Holder

Scalpel Blade Holder
Scalpel Blade
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
8
How to Install a Scalpel Blade

• Get the correct size blade for the blade holder.
  The size is on both the blade handle and the
  blade itself.
• With the blade pointing away from you and anyone
  else, open the blade packet exposing the blade
  lock hole.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
9
How to Install a Scalpel Blade

• Grip the blade at the non-cutting edge away from
  the slanted edge, with a non-toothed forceps,
  needle holder or artery forceps without covering
  the blade lock hole. Carefully pull the blade out.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
10
How to Install a Scalpel Blade

• Align the blade with the blade holder. The
  slanted edge of the blade should be in the same
  alignment as the blade holders slanted edge.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
11
How to Install a Scalpel Blade

• Place the blade into the grooves on both sides of
  the blade key. Slide the blade over the blade key
  until the whole blade locks into place

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Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
12
How to Remove a Scalpel Blade

• Parts of a Scalpel Blade and Scalpel Holder

Scalpel Blade Holder
Scalpel Blade
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
13
How to Remove a Scalpel Blade

• With the blade pointing away from you and anyone
  else, grip the blade at the slanted edge at the
  part of the blade that juts out with a
  non-toothed forceps, needle holder or artery
  forceps hole.

• Carefully lift the blades end until the Blade
  Lock Hole lifts up from the Blade Key.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
14
How to Remove a Scalpel Blade

• Carefully push the blade out.
• Once totally out from the blade holder, dispose
  of the blade into a sharps bin.

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Department of Orthopaedic Surgery