Do you cover your C/S tables ?

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I have worked at several hospitals in my nursing career, all in L/D. It seems this is always an issue. OR standards dictate that once you open a table for surgery, it is never to be covered and left unattended. That gets a little more complicated for L&D, since we may be sitting on a FM strip that has the potential to go bad quick. I would like to find out how other hospitals handle this situation in their units. I would also love if anyone has any documented guidlines for covering C/S tables....something to use for policy making. Thanks.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

At our hospital:

They don't cover the table, but they'll lock the doors and put signs that say "Sterile" on the doors.

After 2 hours the table is no longer considered sterile, so it must be torn down and a new one set up.

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Specializes in L&D.

In my hospital -

Once a C/S table is opened, someone needs to stay in the room with it. It cannot be covered, nor can the room be left unattended. I work in a large teaching facility, where we do stat and emergent c/s almost on a daily basis. We do a total of about 4000+ deliveries a year.

Jen

L&D RN

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In my hospital -

Once a C/S table is opened, someone needs to stay in the room with it. It cannot be covered, nor can the room be left unattended. I work in a large teaching facility, where we do stat and emergent c/s almost on a daily basis. We do a total of about 4000+ deliveries a year.

Jen

L&D RN

Jen, Does that ever become a problem for you with your :rolleyes: tech. personel being tied up in a room for an extended period of time? Also do you mind me asking what hospital do you work at?

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Specializes in L&D.
Jen, Does that ever become a problem for you with your :rolleyes: tech. personel being tied up in a room for an extended period of time? Also do you mind me asking what hospital do you work at?

Nope, rarely a problem. And it's usually not an extended period of time anyway.

Why do you want to know what hospital I work at? I hesitate to give out info that personal on here.

Jen

L&D RN

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

no. the tech opens the OR after the section is "called" and stays there with the sterile field.....then she and the circulator begin their counts.....

really, it is a matter of minutes before we go back and begin the case after that. no need to cover the table.

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