CPM and washing & sharing sheepskin?????

Not that I know of. All of our TKR's have some sort of stocking on there leg(s), either TED or JOBST. Also, many of them are ace wrapped from mid-thigh to the ankle. However, we get our CPM's from PT who gets them from a local company, so they just might.

To get approved for our joint replacement program, all considering surgery get tested for MRSA, Hep, etc. and if they have an infectous disease then we don't let them have surgery here.

Although the hospital I work for no longer uses CPMs, when we did we threw the sheepskin away. I would think reuseing them would be an infection control issue.

Your hospital refuses to care for patients with infectious diseases? I have never heard of such a thing!

Your hospital refuses to care for patients with infectious diseases? I have never heard of such a thing! What do you do with patients who come in thru the ER with hip fractures or other traumatic injuries that require orthopedic surgery?

No, no. We have a program called Joint Camp. It is run by a group of three or four ortho docs.

There is some sort of criteria to be approved for the program. You have to be of sound mind, able to consent, and go through a screening process. So far, they don't do any joints who have MRSA or VRE...as these are ELECTIVE surgeries I'm talking about. Now if a pt comes in to the ER with MRSA and they've complete shattered their patella, then they'll replace it, but the pt won't be a part of "Joint Camp."

It's weird. We spoil our ortho docs.

OK. So how is the process of joint replacement different for "Joint Campers" than for routine patients?

Please forgive me for chuckling at the name "Joint Camp". It sounds more like my college dorm than a healthcare program for seniors!

No, no. It really is funny. And it's like the PRIDE AND JOY of our facility. I mean, it's gotten all these recognitions and as the "Joint Camp CNA" my picture is on the wall in the hallway with all the nurses and doctors.

The process is different r/t all the "joint camp" patients attend several classes weeks before surgery about how their recovery will go, several Q/A sessions, and must obtain clearance to be in the program. Post-operatively, instead of having PT/OT work in the room with them...all the joint camp patients attend "Joint Camp Class" twice a day at 1000 and 1400. They watch videos and things in addition to normal sessions with PT.

Then, it gets even funnier. On POD 3 when they get discharged either to a SNF or home with OP Rehab, they all have a barbeque before they leave. They used to go even more into it where the joint campers would get a "newspaper" and map each day outlining the schedule for their therapy.

But it is an EXCELLENT program with intensive PT and wonderful docs who have been practicing for 25+ years and only the most experienced nurses/aides on our ortho floor work back there. If I wanted anybody to care for me it would be the Joint Camp staff because they are all super nurses/CNAs/MDs. So I dunno, lol. Kinda balances out?

We use new pads for each patient and all of our CPM's are cleaned after each pt discharge. Our pt's also have thigh-high TED's, SCD's and ace wraps from mid-calf to mid-thigh. Generally they've got Hemovacs for the first 2 days so there's no drainage on the dressing (typically).