Do You Sanitize Your Pulse Ox?

[Sasha]

I found this article about infection control while looking for something completely different and thought it was interesting.
Issues of infection control in prehospital settings
Full Article:http://www.jephc.com/full_article.cfm?content_id=497

Introduction
Changing patterns in health care practices over the past 50 years has seen a considerable expansion of the procedures performed by paramedics. Intravenous cannulation, parenteral injections, needle thoracentesis and endotracheal intubation are now common prehospital procedures. Due in part, to the nature of these procedures, paramedics are now placed at a much higher risk of exposure to potentially infectious fluids in environments that are often uncontrollable.

The primary objective of all health care organisations must be focused on the continuing improvement and delivery of quality health care by using effective infection control strategies that are based on preventing transmission of infection. One of the main requirements to meet this objective involves the development of written infection care policies that are capable of being implemented at every level within an organisation’s hierarchy. This paper will examine the following two infection control issues:
1. The routine cleaning of patient monitoring cables between patient applications and,
2. The cleaning and disinfection of respiratory equipment, in particular, laryngoscope blades, facemasks and self-inflating resuscitation bags in relation to infection control issues and analyses of the operational, human resource and management practices relevant to the prehospital issues.

 

[Foxbat]

Thanks for the article. I finally have a legal reason for my OCD. I don't like some people's "eh, nothing's gonna be sterile in prehospital environment" attitude.

 

[reaper]

I clean my Spo2 lead, monitor leads and bp cuff after every pt. A lot of people dont. They just wind them up and shove them in the bag. That is a very sad thing!

 

[AJ Hidell]

Everything gets sprayed down with disinfectant after every patient contact.

 

[emtfarva]

Yep, after every call. And by the way anything that is sterile is no longer sterile after you open the package and expose it to the air, unless you are in a vaccum.

 

[VentMedic]

I don't like some people's "eh, nothing's gonna be sterile in prehospital environment" attitude.

Very few things are sterile in the prehospital setting. Sterilizationis the only level of asepsis that kills all microbes both pathogenic and nonpathogenic. Packaged products may be sterile but rarely are sterile gloves used to apply them. This is also true for inhospital settings but there are certain procedures that do require sterile gloves. Rarely if ever is a sterile field established in the field.

Disinfection destroys or kills pathogenic microbes but are not always effective against viruses and spores.

Antisepsis/Sanitation techniques such as hand washing, alcohol, iodine and betadine to clean the skin for medical procedures, inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. They may kill or inhibit some microbes but are generally not effective against viruses and spores.

 

[Foxbat]

VentMedic,
I know, it's just when people use this as an excuse to not clean things that should be cleaned, it kind of frustrates me.

 

[Sasha]

Forgive the typo in the title. I tried to fix it, but it didn't work! :[

I hate that too, Foxbat. I'm not incredibly OCD and worried about picking things up from patients, but some people's comfort with germs really worries me!

 

[VentMedic]

VentMedic,
I know, it's just when people use this as an excuse to not clean things that should be cleaned, it kind of frustrates me.

Apologies if it sounded like I was correcting you.

It is also frustrating when the hospital get bashed by EMS providers for restarting IVs or even when the ED greets the ambulance wearing masks and gowns. Sometimes the ED staff are already anticipating the long haul and have a list of differential dxs forming from the report or even the NH already called ahead with something signicant like C-Diff precautions.

 

[fortsmithman]

We are required to wipe down everything that comes into contact with a pt. We wipe dow everything from the thermometer to the stretcher or stairchair (depends on what we used to transport).

 

[sir.shocksalot]

Apologies if it sounded like I was correcting you.

It is also frustrating when the hospital get bashed by EMS providers for restarting IVs or even when the ED greets the ambulance wearing masks and gowns. Sometimes the ED staff are already anticipating the long haul and have a list of differential dxs forming from the report or even the NH already called ahead with something signicant like C-Diff precautions.

Thats my favorite, walking into an ER after coming from a nursing home and seeing all the ED staff in gowns and masks. The ER then tells you, "didn't the nursing home tell you that this patient has C-diff"
"no, no they didn't, but thanks for letting me know"
"do you want to put on a gown and mask?"
"I'm an EMT, if its around, I have it already."

 

[VentMedic]

Thats my favorite, walking into an ER after coming from a nursing home and seeing all the ED staff in gowns and masks. The ER then tells you, "didn't the nursing home tell you that this patient has C-diff"
"no, no they didn't, but thanks for letting me know"
"do you want to put on a gown and mask?"
"I'm an EMT, if its around, I have it already."

Fortunately C-Diff will not hurt you but the next elderly, immunosuppressed or even someone doing a heavy course of antibiotics that you or your stretcher touches without proper cleaning will be at risk.

 

[emtfarva]

Fortunately C-Diff will not hurt you but the next elderly, immunosuppressed or even someone doing a heavy course of antibiotics that you or your stretcher touches without proper cleaning will be at risk.

This is why I wash my hands after every call and use gloves.

 

[sir.shocksalot]

This is why I wash my hands after every call and use gloves.

I also carry a bottle of the sanitizing hand-wash, for those times when you can't get to a sink (ie car accidents and what have you)

 

[AJ Hidell]

This is why I wash my hands after every call and use gloves.

I'm glad to hear that this is happening. Gloves weren't even common in EMS until the late 80s. And as they became standard, too many people took them as an excuse to never wash their hands anymore. I still see this continue to some extent. I never see it in a provider who has actually taken microbiology though. Go figure.

 

[Arkymedic]

I clean it all after each call and at the beginning of the shift I wipe down the cables, spo2, glucometer, laryngoscope, and anything else that possibly could have been forgot about by the previous crew.

I found this article about infection control while looking for something completely different and thought it was interesting.
Issues of infection control in prehospital settings
Full Article:http://www.jephc.com/full_article.cfm?content_id=497

 

[seanm028]

I never see it in a provider who has actually taken microbiology though. Go figure.

I took microbiology last semester. I've used a paper towel to open bathroom doors ever since.

 

[AJ Hidell]

I took microbiology last semester. I've used a paper towel to open bathroom doors ever since.

LOL! Yep, we are the ones who leave the used paper towels laying on the floor next to the rest room door if there is no trash can at the exit.

 

[Airwaygoddess]

You better believe I clean and decon all patient care equipment!!

 

[CAOX3]

There is nothing like getting in an ambulance after a day off and seeing dried blood on the ceiling.

I dont know if if Im more upset they didnt clean the ceiling or happy I wasnt on a call where blood got on the ceiling.

Yeah we have a policy where everything gets wiped down after the call is done. You know with those super wipes that will find any cut you have had in the last year....Yeah those are the ones.