rubber fingers?

[onthejourney]

Hi allnurses. I was reviewing the anaphylaxis emergency kit inventory checklist needed when giving flu vaccinations and it requires rubber fingers, along with epinephrine, gloves, benadryl, etc at this facility. I did a google search and found that rubber fingers are basically little finger condoms used to help people count pages and prevent paper cuts...so why is this needed in an anaphylaxis kit? am I missing something??

onthejourney

[Rodoon, BSN, MSN, RN]

I'm mising it too. BTW, Loved you post title you'll get lots of reads and hopefully someone will know.

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

I've only heard them called finger cots....and only then LONG before gloves became the norm with care.

Seems silly to put on 10 finger cots, and not 2 gloves...????

Plus, they were latex....not good for the seemingly universal avoidance d/t more allergy issues (just what you want if someone is in anaphylaxis )

I graduated in 1985...was a CNA for the 1 1/2 years before that.....NEVER even used a finger cot.

Will wait with you for the answer to this one

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

Hi allnurses. I was reviewing the anaphylaxis emergency kit inventory checklist needed when giving flu vaccinations and it requires rubber fingers, along with epinephrine, gloves, benadryl, etc at this facility. I did a google search and found that rubber fingers are basically little finger condoms used to help people count pages and prevent paper cuts...so why is this needed in an anaphylaxis kit? am I missing something??

onthejourney

Ah, finger cots!! Haven't seen one in quite a few years. Which makes me wonder just when your inventory checklist was composed!!

[jesskidding, LPN]

I'm mising it too. BTW, Loved you post title you'll get lots of reads and hopefully someone will know.

Ha! The title made me click!

I've learned something. I had no idea what finger cots were. Nice to know.

:)

[beckster_01, BSN, RN]

I used to use those when I worked at a group home to apply topical medications (instead of wasting a whole glove?). But I don't know the answer to your question :)

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

I'd check the date on that list.... I've seen finger cots available, but for home use, so not for a situation w/dealing with the public. (suppositories, and topicals- for those wondering :))

[nurse2033, MSN, RN]

That's so you can quickly thumb through the emergency guide!

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

That's so you can quickly thumb through the emergency guide!

OOOhh ....THAT was good !!

[daisyis]

I don't know about finger cots in human medicine, but just an interesting thing to add...in my many years as a veterinary technician, finger cots were commonly used in feline declaws! After the declaw, the finger cot is rolled down over the paw and secured with elastic tape as a bandage for a short time in recovery. Hope someone answers your actual question, though!

[jesskidding, LPN]

Found this using google:

Finger Cots provide temporary protection for your fingers while injuries are healing. Protects cuts, burns and blisters from moisture and dirt. Ideal for hard to bandage finger tips.

A finger cot (also finger stall, informally finger condom) is a medical supply used to cover one or more fingers in situations where a full glove is unnecessary. Like medical gloves, finger cots may be made from a variety of water-tight materials including latex, nitrile rubber, or vinyl. They function to both limit patient exposure to infectious material and to protect health professionals from contact with bodily fluids that can transmit disease. Finger cots can be used in a wide scope of medical procedures and examinations, for example, when applying a topical medication or during the digital rectal examination.[1] Finger cots may be used when bandaging a finger as a means of both securing the bandage and protecting the bandage and wound from becoming wet.

Finger cots have a wide range of specialized applications in a variety of industries apart from health care. In electronics manufacturing (e.g., the manufacture of semiconductors), finger cots are used while handling sensitive components to prevent contamination. In the watchmaking industry they are used to keep delicate watch parts from being contaminated with grease and skin particles and also in art conservation and restoration, to protect works of art from the skin's natural oils, which can have corrosive effects over time. In jobs that require manual labor with the hands, such as an automobile mechanic or chef, finger cots may be used to protect an injured finger so that the individual can return to work more quickly following an injury.

It's like a mini condom!