BP cuffs and infection control

[country mom]

Does anyone else think it is a problem that we use the same BP cuff as we go from room to room? Obviously, if they're on contact isolation, they get their own, but what about everyone else? What if there is a non-diagnosed MRSA skin infection? How come some company hasn't come up with a disposable cover for BP cuffs? At least up on the floor, we try to keep the patients cleaned up, but down in ER, they come in off the street and the cuff is used from one person to the next. Sometime I wipe off the cuff with an alcohol swab, but it still looks grungy. Does this bother anyone else?

[hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN]

Every patient gets their own cuff at my facility.

[EnkeliRN]

Yes, I feel the same way...in fact I was told to use same VS machine with people that was in isolation for MRSA, c-diff, etc with other patients...when I asked about the risk of spreading infection, i was told to wipe down everything with alcohol instead of keeping VS machine for people in isolation .... I'm really discouraged by this type of behavior that some hospitals encourage their CNAs/RNs to practice .

[NeosynephRN]

Everyone here gets there own...and we just switched to disposable cuffs, they keep their own until it needs replaced or they transfer or go home then we just toss it in the trash!

[Sue Damones]

I have had a problem with this for a while now, too. I think it's disgusting. I work in ICU and the same BP cuffs are used for everyone. Honestly, I can't even trust the housekeepers sometimes. I've gone into rooms after it's been "cleaned" and I frequently find stuff that I have to scrub with a Cavi wipe myself. I've been told by the supervisors in my unit that we are getting disposable BP cuffs for isolation pts but time and time again they aren't here or just aren't ordered to be stocked with the regular isolation stuff like disposable stethoscopes and thermometers. It makes me crazy! It's so gross... *sigh*

[mpccrn, BSN, RN]

we use to use disposable cuff and pulse ox probes but have just switched over to reusable cuffs and probes in our ICU as a cost savings measure. isolation patients get disposable. has anyone actually tried to use the cheap disposable stethescopes? might as well make up what you're doing with it, can't hear anything with them! given MRSA can be picked up at your local wal-mart, i'm keeping an open mind. isolation in itself is a good concept but given the linen, food tray etc are placed back into general circulation these days i'm not sure it will really impact circumstances to reuse cuffs and probes. not to mention how many of us have taken care of people for days before they are placed in isolation in the first place. isolation these days isn't what it was 30 years ago and that may not prove to be a good thing. :uhoh21:

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

A committee I'm a member of is recommending that we no more pushing computers from room to room and in the units with one in each room use a disposable keyboard cover for each patient.

Stethoscopes, cuffs, and everything. Even our pens. Resistant infections are dangerous and I don't want to be part of spreading them.

[country mom]

Do your ER patients and the gen med patients get their own cuff too, or is it just the ICU/CCU patients?

[NeosynephRN]

Do your ER patients and the gen med patients get their own cuff too, or is it just the ICU/CCU patients?

If you are asking me? Well right now the ER is using the same cuff over and over...we are going through a real issue at my hospital, we were recently evacuated and the ER had to be relocated...I am not sure if once it settles down they will use disposables or not. Honestly I have no idea about the floors...I assume that they use a machine that goes from one room to the next...but I definately do not know for a fact.

[MAISY, RN-ER, BSN, RN]

Agree, disgusting-use safety wipes to clean everything if I have time when I come on shift.

Nothing is grosser than fluids on floor, accompanied by bp cuff, pulse ox and monitor leads YUCK! I clean chair handles, seats and tables-not always time in ER due to patient turnover at quick rate. AGAIN, YUCK!!!!

I think it's a great idea for throw away cuffs-if you work ER you know what kinds of "nasty bugs" and bodily fluids that have been splashed and shared. I really cringe when I haven't been able to clean something, and wear gloves when I handle the stuff!

When I brought it up, everyone just shrugged:uhoh21:. Then again, this is the same environment where I was told during annual "fit testing" oh well, if there are no hoods or battery packs it won't matter. You are in ER and will be exposed and treated anyway. Infection control at its best!

Maisy

[Music in My Heart]

Does anyone else think it is a problem that we use the same BP cuff as we go from room to room? Obviously, if they're on contact isolation, they get their own, but what about everyone else?

Yes, I think it's a huge problem.

And, where I'm doing my clinical rotation, they're using the SAME BP/pulse/oximetry instrument for ALL patients, contact or not.

For that matter, I've several times seen folks walking out of the contact rooms with their personal stethoscopes dangling over their gowns. The disposable ones are useless so they just use their "real" one.

Astonishing.

[Music in My Heart]

Yes, I feel the same way...in fact I was told to use same VS machine with people that was in isolation for MRSA, c-diff, etc with other patients...when I asked about the risk of spreading infection, i was told to wipe down everything with alcohol instead of keeping VS machine for people in isolation .... I'm really discouraged by this type of behavior that some hospitals encourage their CNAs/RNs to practice .

And, of course, the antimicrobial wipes don't do anything to the Clostridium spores...