Do you always wear eye protection when circulating?

ewattsjt · Sep 10, 2007

mike, you already know the answer to that. when you get close enough to the field to be “splashed, sprayed or hit by another projectile”, you should have eye protection on. if simply charting at the desk away from the chaos, no.

mikethern · Sep 10, 2007

mike, you already know the answer to that. when you get close enough to the field to be "splashed, sprayed or hit by another projectile", you should have eye protection on. if simply charting at the desk away from the chaos, no.

ewatts, if you saying that you wear eye protection every time you circulate, then you are in the minority. i'd estimate that 95% of circulators do not wear eye protection.

hotdog19d · Sep 11, 2007

I don't, but after reading the other thread I may start.

TracyB,RN, RN · Sep 11, 2007

As much as I hate to admit this, it depends on the case.

Should I wear eyewear all the time? Heck yeah. Do I? I'd be totally lying

if I said I did.

Not to make excuses, but I seriously can't find a decent pair of googleloos to cover my peepers. I've tried so many pairs & they ALL fog up... It's horrible.

Who's got a good pair of non-foggers?

mikethern · Sep 11, 2007

I seriously can't find a decent pair of googleloos to cover my peepers. I've tried so many pairs & they ALL fog up... It's horrible.
Who's got a good pair of non-foggers?

Does your facility have the masks with the built-in disposable visor? They don't fog at all.

Also, try laparoscopy defog solution on your goggles.

TracyB,RN, RN · Sep 11, 2007

Dang. Why didn't I think of defog???

Seriously, I can wear those built in masks AND tape them and STILL fog. It's horrible. About the only thing that works for me, is not breathing & that's just not practical when I'm trying to work... LOL

mikethern · Sep 11, 2007

I can wear those built in masks AND tape them and STILL fog. It's horrible. About the only thing that works for me, is not breathing & that's just not practical when I'm trying to work... LOL

Have you tried bending the plastic down the middle before you put the mask on? It keeps the plastic away from your face so it doesn't fog.

Also, don't tighten the bottom straps of your mask. Tighten the top straps but leave the bottom straps very loose to allow your breath to seep out the sides.

inspir8tion · Sep 11, 2007

I wear eye protection 90% of the time. The other 10% is usually when I forget or during a lap procedure. But my goal is to wear them 100% of the time. BTW, splash doesn't always happen close to the field. If an artery is hit, blood can fly across the room!

mikethern · Sep 11, 2007

BTW, splash doesn't always happen close to the field. If an artery is hit, blood can fly across the room!

Or a pulse-evac squirting.

ewattsjt · Sep 11, 2007

i am currently a cst going to school for nursing and when i second circulate, and i do wear glasses when i go by the field. i was assisting on an endo case once and the pt lied about drug use and could not be sedated very well. the patient ended up doing projectile bile up my arm, neck, face, and even into my eyes.

now when i get close to the field, even on nonsterile cases i wear mask and glasses.

mikethern · Sep 12, 2007

i am currently a cst going to school for nursing and when i second circulate, and i do wear glasses when i go by the field. i was assisting on an endo case once and the pt lied about drug use and could not be sedated very well. the patient ended up doing projectile bile up my arm, neck, face, and even into my eyes.
now when i get close to the field, even on nonsterile cases i wear mask and glasses.

yeah, at the end of cases when the patient is about to be extubated, i am the only one who keeps his mask on. i figure if get spit in my face when the patient coughs, at least my mouth and nose will be covered. i think i am going to wear eye protection all the time during every case starting tomorrow. i'm going to get goggles with a cord that goes around my neck so i can take it off between cases without losing it.