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Scalpel handle (#3)
Also called: blade handle, Bard-Parker handle
A flat metal handle that holds a disposable surgical blade.
The scalpel handle holds a removable blade. The #3 handle is the most common for oral surgery. Blades slide onto the slotted tip and are removed with a hemostat or a blade remover, never with fingers.
How to spot it
- Flat metal handle with a ridged grip and a slotted tip where the blade attaches.
What it is used for
- Making incisions for flaps, biopsies and some extractions.
Safety and care
- Critical item (it goes into soft tissue or touches bone): clean it, package it and heat-sterilize it after every patient.
- Load and unload blades with a hemostat or blade remover; drop used blades straight into the sharps container.
Related
Sources: Majid M. Oral Surgery Lec. 9+10: Basic surgical instruments. Al-Mustansiriyah University, OSHA. Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030