Stethoscope with Cooties

[litenbug]

I think I am going to go broke buying Stehoscopes. On my last clinical rotation, I had to care for someone who was on a contact precaution. It was mandatory to don PPE before I stepped into the room and my instructor guided me on the protocol ie: take off the gown and gloves at the door before I stepped out of the room. My instructors doesn't allow us to use the electronic equipment to take V/S. I had to take the persons BP with the manual cuff and used my stethoscope. I wanted to throw up because the pt was in bad shape. I felt that I contaminated my stehoscope, not only with the diaphragm touching the pt skin but by me touching the tubing and the ear pieces while performing the procedure. Awk, at the end of the day I just threw the stethoscope away.

[shrimpchips, LPN]

Generally when patients are on contact precautions, they have those disposable stethoscopes (and other items) that they use that way you don't have to use your own equipment. I would look into that next time because you will get patients who are on contact precautions time and time again and you don't want to have to throw away an expensive stethoscope for each time you have a patient like that.

[Hoozdo, ADN]

There should definitely be a stethoscope in the room of a pt with contact precautions. It won't be a good stethoscope. I call them "Barbie doll" stethoscopes. Sometimes you can't hear a thing with them.

I have been known to take my own in a precautions room and clean it thoroughly with antibacterial wipes. The wipes break down the tubing though - and I don't do it often. Only if I can't hear a thing and it is very important to me that I need to listen.

Never throw your own stethoscope away!

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Throwing your stethoscope away is a gross overreaction. Just clean it. If you handle money without panicking the stethoscope cooties shouldn't faze you.

[Keepstanding, ASN, RN]

just clean it real good with a few alcohol wipes. that should kill anything that is on it.

praiser :heartbeat

[CrufflerJJ, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

just clean it real good with a few alcohol wipes. that should kill anything that is on it.

except c-diff.....

[psalm, RN]

When I am gowned and gloved in an isolation room and discover the pt. doesn't have a designated stethescope, I will use mine with a glove covering the end. I then have to reglove and then put my stethescope under my gown...and continue my assessment.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

we have bleach wipes to use.

[May2011Grad]

There should also be directions that came with your stethoscope on the appropriate way to take apart and clean your scope if needed.