[TiredMD]

Originally Posted by bollweevil

And, with my own 2 eyes, I have seen anesthesiologists do the same thing. Imagine that.

On the same patient, or two different patients?

[MarySunshine]

I have never reused a syringe nor have I seen anyone else reuse a syringe.

[queenjean]

"I read in the paper that some doctors are reusing syringes. Do you?"

"No. I read in the paper that some patients abuse our health care system with their poor health habits and unnecessary hospital and ER visits, and then have the audacity to complain about nurses not fulfilling their every need immediately. Do you?"

[ACRN06]

Originally Posted by SillyStudent

I recently had a patient's family insist that I use soap and water at the sink as opposed to the hand sanitizer at the door. It went like this:

Family: You need to wash your hands before you touch Mom.

Nurse: *still rubbing hands* I always use the sanitizer that we keep at the door before I touch a patient. If my hands become visibly soiled, and many times throughout the day, I use soap and water.

Family: We would prefer you use soap and water.

Nurse: Why?

Family: *Flustered, but still righteous* Because it's better!

Nurse: Actually, as long as the alcohol content of the sanitizer is high enough, it is as effective, or more effective than handwashing. It depends on the person's handwashing technique.

Family: What do you mean?

Nurse: Let me get you something I have printed out
*nurse runs off and gets an article about hand sanitizer and soap and water studies that cite no discernable difference between handwashing and sanitizer, as published by the CDC*

Family: *scans the page for 3 seconds* We want you to use soap and water.

Nurse: Ok

*headdesk*

So much for education.

I heard that hand sanitizers even kill organisms that just soap and water don't! I don't have the literature to quote to back myself up... But its true from what I understand.

HOWEVER

To be completely fair... I know when we have a patient in contact isolation for Cdiff.. we have to use soap and water, not just the sanitizer...because it doesn't remove the cdiff....

[ACRN06]

OK, so this really needs clarification...

I've reused saline flush syringes before...
Let me elaborate... The 10cc prefilled NS syringes with the blunt plastic tips... If a pt has a IV w/o fluids running, for example, I'd flush the IV before hooking up the IV antibiotic, recap it, then use it again after the antibiotic is complete to flush the IV again. Then dispose of it.

Is this the horrific "reusing" of syringes that they speak of??

I'm just being honest here, tell me I'm guilty if I am, but I know that I'm one of...well... heck, ALL the nurses on the floor...shoot, in the HOSPITAL do this!!
If I had to open a new NS flush for every time I had to flush an IV, it'd be a waste! Or I guess I'd have to draw up only what I use from the 5cc dilutant NS bottles

blah.

Just wondering if this could be what they're talking about??