Bodily fluid and open cuts

[RunnerD1987]

Hi, looking for some advice on how to prevent exposure to bodily fluid. I am hoping can find an answer here. I work as a tech cleaning up blood and bodily fluids. I deal a lot with water and that water slips down into the gloves. I wear a MRSA jacket, quite surgical coat, elbow length surgical gloves, as well as a more durable nitrite glove that has double thickness to it. However, I still have exposure on my hands can feel the contaminated water getting on my hands. I am worried about it entering my open cuts. Any advice I tried tape, but it gets soggy and falls apart. Thinking rubber bands or oddly enough can bring in my own duct tape, ha. I am just worried so any suggestions I appreciate it.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

You could put on a pair of gloves, a plastic gown with thumb holes, then an elbow length pair of gloves over all of it. The inside pair of gloves would be up under plastic, therefore, you may find not having this issue.

You could advocate for an inservice on the different PPE that is available to you and the best way to use it.

If you are getting water/fluids under your gloves and on your hands, it could mean you are not wearing your PPE correctly. With that being said, hands sweat when under all that plastic stuff--sometimes a LOT. To be on the safe side, learn from the infection control nurse. However, also be aware that it could be a whole bunch of sweat.

[RunnerD1987]

Appreciate the feedback. Normally I put the plastic gown on then the elbow gloves over the plastic gown with my thumbs through the thumb holes. Then put the cloth surgical jacket over that. Then the double nitrile gloves over the cuffs of the surgical jacket. Definitely a lot of sweat and gloves are tightly sealed. I do wear the gloves for an hour so maybe change every 30 minute's.

[RN403, BSN, RN]

Also wear water-proof band-aids on your open cuts and scrapes to protect yourself.

[Nalon1 RN/EMT-P, BSN, RN]

elbow gloves, plastic gown with thumb holes, elbow length gloves, regular gloves. But that is really overkill.

I sweat like crazy in gloves, I have had sweat dripping out of the gloves after 10 minutes.

[Raven Sierra, BSN, RN]

Ditto on the sweat in the gloves. I've actually seen it pooling in the fingers on mine. Ugh... But, OP, if you feel that you're being exposed to bodily fluids (not your own sweat), seek the advice of infection control. You shouldn't be getting exposed, period.