Sterile Procedures

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Are there any procedures which are sterile in home care? I'm thinking clean technique for everything but am just curious.

[caliotter3]

I think that my home health reference may refer to some sterile procedures, but I personally have never come across any in my work. I know from school, that trach care is supposed to be sterile. Our worksheet provided us with a checkoff to indicate whether trach care was sterile or clean. But to be frank, I've discussed this with my supervisor and her remark to me was that while we are supposed to try in every way possible to keep everything sterile by not touching the catheter to nonsterile objects, etc., it is almost impossible to keep sterile in the home environment. She was very meticulous in her cleaning of the client's trach tubing and equipment, doing it on a nightly basis rather than once a week or some other schedule (or as little as possible as I've seen in some cases). She told me that she attributed the fact that the client had not been hospitalized more than once for respiratory illness since she started there to her practices. I thought that she was probably right. You can't be too clean or too careful. I'm certain that there would be some procedures that would warrant sterility, I just haven't seen any of this in my practice.

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

Foley catheter insertion. :)

[cookie102]

Central Line Dressing Changes

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Foley catheter insertion. :)

How about foley irrigation? Do you keep a pile of sterile irrigation trays or just use clean equipment?