infection control with COWs/rovers

[christianRN]

We're going to be going to computerized charting and are looking at replacing the general floors' med carts with Lionville computers-on-wheels that have med drawers. Has anyone had any experience with Lionville?

Secondly, we've gotten very mixed responses concerning infection control issues surrounding taking carts in and out of patient rooms. I can't imagine that it would be a problem, since the floors don't clean the portable automatic blood pressure cuff in between each patient, and the computer won't even be touching the patient, BUT we definitely want to get all of these issues ironed out beforehand.

What are your policies or what have you seen regarding cleaning rovers or carts?

Thanks

[suzanne4, RN]

BP cuffs are supposed to be cleaned between patients, or disposed of. This is usually a job of the housekeeping dept, if not, it should be brought to management's attention. Nothing should come into contact with another patient that was not cleaned before in the in-patient rooms. Even tourniquets are now disposable.

Just make sure that the laptop part of it has a keyboard that can be cleaned, this is the number one place of germs and bugs in a hospital, the computer keyboard. And the tower can be wiped down as often as your policy dictates.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

An additional problem, is where will they be stored.

In some states, they will ding you on inspection, for the COWs being in the hall. One of the facilities I have been at, got dinged on that one.