WASH YOUR HANDS!!!

Phillyrube

Phillyrube

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Now, you would think this is a topic for discussion on an EMS website, but, On August 16, at app. 5:00 PM, while standing at a urinal at a Tim Horton's in Hepworth, Ontario, I watched a paramedic supervisor take a leak, then leave, and jump into his SUV and drive away. I'm guessing he was a supervisor due to the amount of gold on his uniform.

Disgusting!!! What are they teaching those guys up there? Hell, been at this business for 40 years, and I wash my hands BEFORE I handle my goods, if you get my meaning.

Still haven't figured out guys who talk on their cellphones while taking care of business.

Carry on, boys!
 
rescue1 said:
Just wait till you see the studies on how nurses and doctors in the hospital do with hand washing
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Or even the number of people in the general population who wash their hands. Still gross. I'm even one of those people that use a towel to open the door as I know people who don't wash their hands touch that. Honestly, don't think of all the surfaces that you touch that EVERYONE touches. Money is one of the nastiest things.
 
Take a look at the data around handwashing, specifically the number regarding how many wash effectively, how many pretend to wash, and how many don’t wash at all. Then realize that, unless you never touch anything outside of a clean room, your diligent handwashing was negated almost as soon as you finished washing.

If everybody effectively washed, that would be a good thing; but since you can’t get everybody, those that don’t are but a single cog on an unstoppable wheel. I’m not saying don’t wash. I’m just simply illustrating that it’s ultimately kind of pointless.
 
The other thing to consider is urine is basically bacteria free, so it's not like you are going to pass any cooties onto others (fecal matter is a completely different story, tons of bacteria in that). Are your genitals any more germ covered than other covered part of your body? I am hoping everyone washes them daily, or every other day at least.

It might be gross, it might be icky, and it might even make you not want to shake his hand afterwards.... couple that with this statement:
hometownmedic5 said:
Take a look at the data around handwashing, specifically the number regarding how many wash effectively, how many pretend to wash, and how many don’t wash at all. Then realize that, unless you never touch anything outside of a clean room, your diligent handwashing was negated almost as soon as you finished washing
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and how dirty doorknobs are, and the last research I read involving microbiology (which was, admittedly, several years ago) makes be less concerned about someone who doesn't wash after they pee. But it is gross, and I'm likely to skip the handshake next time I see them.
 
Wont get into the sterile urine debate. I was taught in SERE school many many years ago to pee on your toes in the bush, to prevent athletes foot.

But aerolized ****? Nah....
 
Phillyrube said:
Wont get into the sterile urine debate. I was taught in SERE school many many years ago to pee on your toes in the bush, to prevent athletes foot.
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It makes sense... the acidity of urine kills the bacteria that causes athletes foot. Same concept as mouthwash.

Like I said, gross and icky for sure, but it won't spread cooties.
 
Pffft. Not washing my hands adds flavour to my food and makes my immune system stronger.




In all seriousness though, keep em clean boys. We touch gross stuff. And wipe down the steering wheel and door handles at the start of each shift. Not a lot of people do that.
 
Aaaaand this is why we wear gloves at minimum on every call.

But yeah, there'll be plenty times we come into much more direct contact with piss and **** than we'd like.

People (all of us) are gross by nature. The job, by nature, places us in close contact with grossness. Just wash your hands, try not to touch your face, launder your uniforms (sometimes you gotta spray your boots with disinfectant spray) and keep calm and continue on.
 
Heck last shift I had a patient vomit all over my hand and arm while I was getting him a emesis basin to vomit in. Got my watch contaminated too, luckily it’s waterproof. Had to get battle buddy to take off the watch so I wasn’t continuing to have the vomit stuck to my while working on the patient. Got to the hospital and washed up as soon as I could, including my watch. Good hand washing is important, but being able to dodge stuff coming out of the patient is even more important. Got no vomit on my uniform or boots and it was all over the ambulance.
 
luke_31 said:
Heck last shift I had a patient vomit all over my hand and arm while I was getting him a emesis basin to vomit in. Got my watch contaminated too, luckily it’s waterproof. Had to get battle buddy to take off the watch so I wasn’t continuing to have the vomit stuck to my while working on the patient. Got to the hospital and washed up as soon as I could, including my watch. Good hand washing is important, but being able to dodge stuff coming out of the patient is even more important. Got no vomit on my uniform or boots and it was all over the ambulance.
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I was assisting an ill passenger durring my day job (I'm a flight attendant) dude blew chunks all over my uniform, pants and shoes. Had to work 3 more flights that way. The good news was nobody asked me for anything :) only time I've been poked on (knock on wood).
 
Before EMS, I'll be real, I'd run my hands under hot water and call it a day.

Now, if I'm not removing the first layer of skin, I'm not satisfied.
 
Phillyrube said:
Hell, been at this business for 40 years, and I wash my hands BEFORE I handle my goods...
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Jim Jeffries has a line about how if you wait until after, you're letting the horse out of the barn... and ever since then I've personally found it far more important to wash *first*.
 
I was paranoid and kinda a germaphobe before joining EMS, but hand washing is no joke. Every time i hear someone leave the bathroom without washing their hands i was to slap them (with my freshly washed hand)

I do not touch any PTs without gloves. ever.

My dad contracted Hep C from a patient and almost died when a one way valve on a mask failed. i do not mess around with PPE
 
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