Bedpan washer-spayer type

[daconlon]

I have been a bedside nurse for 13 years. I have on a daily basis been sprayed by bedpan washers. I am talking about the Sloan valve Company Slimline bedpan washer. Zurn company makes a similar product. And of course other vendors make the kind that are on a hose. In any event these devices are mounted on the toilet in the patients bathroom. When used to clean a bedpan or urinal or specimen hat; the aerosol goes everywhere. I have black light photos from 2004 that are quite dramatic. Other countries in western europe, south africa, Japan and Canada have other ways of dealing with this problem. In general they take the bedpan to a remote location and use a cabinet style bedpan washer ( looks like a dishwasher ) . It is not a perfect solution but at least you are not getting soaked in stool laden water and then going from one patient to another . Very unsanitary!!. I have looked on Pubmed for years for research on this topic, looking for infection control studies. There are none that I can find. It is an important infection control issue and nothing is being done, as far as I know. I have been thwarted by my own hospital and even the school of public health was not helpful. OK Nurses , You must have comments on this. I want to start a diaglog.

Thanks

David Conlon RN

Pearland Texas

[Aeterna, BSN, RN]

UGH I hate those things. Fortunately, soon after I started working, my hospital started getting bedpan liners, which is basically like a plastic bag with an absorbent pad inside. You wrap the bedpan in it, and when the patient is done with it, you bag up the mess and throw it out, leaving the bedpan itself clean and dry. So much more sanitary and convenient!

[daconlon]

I have been a bedside nurse for 13 years. I have on a daily basis been sprayed by bedpan washers. I am talking about the Sloan valve Company Slimline bedpan washer. Zurn company makes a similar product. And of course other vendors make the kind that are on a hose. In any event these devices are mounted on the toilet in the patients bathroom. When used to clean a bedpan or urinal or specimen hat; the aerosol goes everywhere. I have black light photos from 2004 that are quite dramatic. Other countries in western europe, south africa, Japan and Canada have other ways of dealing with this problem. In general they take the bedpan to a remote location and use a cabinet style bedpan washer ( looks like a dishwasher ) . It is not a perfect solution but at least you are not getting soaked in stool laden water and then going from one patient to another . Very unsanitary!!. I have looked on Pubmed for years for research on this topic, looking for infection control studies. There are none that I can find. It is an important infection control issue and nothing is being done, as far as I know. I have been thwarted by my own hospital and even the school of public health was not helpful. OK Nurses , You must have comments on this. I want to start a diaglog.

Thanks

David Conlon RN

Pearland Texas

Regarding the bedpan liners: I am guessing that most of the bedpan contents are placed in the toilet and the liner is placed in the red bag ( hazardous waste) .

Is this correct?

Any idea about the expense?

Also, I am still interested in reading about or doing a study that demonstrates that the use of the sprayer type bedpan washer is probably causing disease.

Any thoughts?

David

[Aeterna, BSN, RN]

Regarding the bedpan liners: I am guessing that most of the bedpan contents are placed in the toilet and the liner is placed in the red bag ( hazardous waste) .

Is this correct?

Any idea about the expense?

Also, I am still interested in reading about or doing a study that demonstrates that the use of the sprayer type bedpan washer is probably causing disease.

Any thoughts?

David

Whatever contents in the liner are wrapped in the plastic part of the bag - there are ties at the top, sort of like a garbage bag. We have little cabinet-like storage areas in every room for soiled linen and briefs (they go in different bags, of course), where housekeeping comes by every now and then to pick them up. We were told to put the bedpan liners in the regular garbage, but then it just smells and is gross, so I generally wrap them again in a small plastic bag and put them with the soiled briefs to be picked up.

Sorry, no idea about the expense! I just know they were introduced because the sprays for washing bedpans were deemed unsanitary. Not sure if they have actual evidence about that or if it was just a common complaint amongst staff.