Room Temperature

when i worked at a dialysis unit, the pts constantly (and i mean constantly) complained that it was way too cold. i gave them several reasons:

1[color=sandybrown].with their blood circulating, it makes them cooler. i mean good grief, it is out of their body!

2.cooler temps inhibit bacterial growth. think about all the body fluids we come in contact with on a daily basis and dialysis pts are soo sick.

3. the staff have to wear the ppe:gloves, gown, face shield. all that is soo hot! there were times that i was sweating and felt like passing out. i am usually a very cold-natured individual, always have my jacket on, etc. having drops of sweat fall on a catheter site or a newly accessed graft/fistula, not good. plus i always joked that if i passed out (being a charge nurse and sometimes the only nurse in the facility), we would have to stop the dialysis for all the pts until i came back to.

believe me when i would take my ppe off to go do something i was very cold too, but the reasons listed above were more important. the pts were allowed to bring blankets from home and i would turn up the heat on the dialysate as long as their bp held stable.

If I received a nickle for everytime I heard this complaint, I would be able to retire! I have turned up the temp in the room, turned up the temp of the dialysate, turned on the heat in the heated chair, covered them with their multiple blankets and still hear "it is too cold in here." I don't know what more I can do. I am going to suggest to my patients that they bring their own hot water bottles or those microwavable buckwheat pillows. Any other ideas?

First off, everything you need to know is here:

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/CFCsAndCoPs/13_ESRD.asp

Conditions for Coverage are the requirements set forth that you MUST maintain in order to keep your facility's Medicare number/certification.

Click on the Conditions for Coverage final rule (PDF) and do a search for "temperature."

(2) The dialysis facility must:

(i)Maintain a comfortable temperature within the facility; and

(ii)Make reasonable accommodations for the patients who are not comfortable at this temperature.

electric blankets. Our BMT checks any electric blanket brought in by a pt before they can use them.

CMS has regulated this with the new Conditions of Coverage.

See Section 494.60©(2)(i) and 494.60©(2)(ii) now requires a facility to maintain a comfortable temperature within the facility; and make reasonable accommodations for the patients who are not comfortable at this temperature.

This one is going to be hard to achieve!

If cars can have heated seats why can't dialysis chairs?

If cars can have heated seats why can't dialysis chairs?

Some facilities do have heated dialysis chairs. They are very expensive!

It is my understanding that it is only the seat area and not the back rest portion.

Some facilities do have heated dialysis chairs. They are very expensive!

It is my understanding that it is only the seat area and not the back rest portion.

Any idea what the patients think of them? I love the ones in my car!

They love them, but they do wish the entire chair was heated and not just the seat area.

They also have flat screened TV's with internet service! NICE!!

After informing my doc that we have constant complaints about the room temp being "too cold!," he said Medicare actually has written guidelines on what the temperature range of dialysis centers should be; somewhere between 68 and 72 he thought. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to locate this information. Do any of you know where I can find this information? Thank you in advance for all your input!

The new revised regulations address room temperature and to recall state that there should basically be a happy medium between that which is comfortable for patients and staff. I do not recall seeing any temperature degree. If you go to the CMS website you can find copy of the regulations. There are always complaints about temperature and it is unfortunate as patients are under enough emotional and physical stress to have another added problem of being cold. In the past most, or many units, set the temperatures to be comfortable more for staff than patients. This is just my opinion.... but from talking with many...

It would be nice if all units had copies of regulations... for reference.