Ever forget to put on your gloves?

[rhan101277]

I did, but remembered immediately just after I put my hand on the pt. to take their pulse. I wasn't in danger of blood or anything, but afterwards I felt bad about it and realized I could have put myself in some danger if there was a cut on my hand and I came in contact with blood or somehow mucous membranes.

It was banged into my head and I forgot... or I was just in to big a hurry.

 

[LucidResq]

I did it once while drawing blood... I was extremely sleep deprived. I'm sure my eyes popped out my head once I looked down at my hands and realized what I was doing. I doubt I'll make that mistake again. This is why sleep is so important... keeps you from making those stupid little mistakes that have the potential for huge ramifications.

 

[JPINFV]

Not wearing gloves isn't the end of the world. Do you go around life wearing gloves, or do you, from time to time, end up touching strangers? Yes, it's good practice, but not the end of the world.

 

[Sasha]

Once. We were taking a patient from the nursing home to the ER.

The patient listed off to the side due to a previous stroke and had a chief complaint of diarrhea, abdominal pain, and a fever. We had trouble keeping upright, despite pillows and the like she still wanted to fall off the stretcher.

The closest ER was ORMC, which is a very busy Level I trauma center. While we were there they had two trauma alerts come in, one from flight, one by ground, so needless to say it was awhile before we got a room and held the wall for wel over an hour. I hate to stand around with gloves on, so I would take mine off, and re glove when I had to adjust the patient on the stretcher or something or another.

One time she was about to fall right off the edge so I grabbed her quick, bare handed, and we hauled her up back on the stretcher just as the triage nurse told us which room we could put her in, so I grabbed some foamy spray and off we went, re gloved, sheeted her over. After giving report to the nurse, he just shrugged his shoulders "Oh! She has C-Diff!".

I scrubbed my hands in the sink for about fifteen minutes after that and have not touched a patient bare handed since.

 

[marineman]

Only once, our response time was 17 seconds and I was more thinking about my plan of attack for the patient in that time that I forgot about gloves. Luckily I keep several pairs in my pocket so I grabbed a pair and put them on while getting a quick history from the patient.

Like JP said, it's not the end of the world to forget them when doing non invasive procedures. I know several medics who flat out don't wear them while taking vitals and such, the reason for drilling on it so hard in school is that if you get in the habit of always wearing them you will be more likely to have them on at the time that you need to have them on.

 

[Buzz]

A lot of people will take vitals and move patients without wearing gloves. I occasionally forget mine when there's nothing blatantly obvious to remind me, but touching someone's wrist is probably a safer bet than touching a public door handle or most of the stuff you've touched on your way TO that patient.

 

[marineman]

A lot of people will take vitals and move patients without wearing gloves. I occasionally forget mine when there's nothing blatantly obvious to remind me, but touching someone's wrist is probably a safer bet than touching a public door handle or most of the stuff you've touched on your way TO that patient.

definitely safer than touching the steering wheel in the ambulance.

 

[Buzz]

definitely safer than touching the steering wheel in the ambulance.

I frequently disinfect the entire front compartment, particularly the steering wheel and radio for that very reason.

 

[Sapphyre]

I frequently disinfect the entire front compartment, particularly the steering wheel and radio for that very reason.

I decon the front at the start of every shift.... including the AC and stereo controls as well.

 

[Kendall]

I am a bit OCD when it comes to decon on my truck... cab and pt compartment!

 

[RESQ_5_1]

Might as well decon the seats. And the floor. And the outside door handles. And the hood release. And the center console. And the door to the bay. And the doors to the hospital. And the pavement (so you don't track your boots in it). And your boots. And your uniform. And all the supplies. And the tires. And the entire outside of the rig. And.....insert any of a million things you touch every day.

As a general rule, I put on about 10 pairs of gloves that I keep in a special sterile chamber in my house and shed them as the day goes on.

As good as it is to prevent cross contamination, some of you border on germophobia. Which, in my opinion, should possibly make you want to consider a more sanitary career.

 

[RESQ_5_1]

Just googled C-Diff and found this:

Infection control measures, such as wearing gloves when caring for patients with CDAD, have been proven to be effective at prevention. This works by limiting the spread of C. difficile in the hospital setting. In addition, washing with soap and water will eliminate the spores from contaminated hands, but alcohol-based hand rubs are ineffective.[25]

 

[EMTinNEPA]

To the OP, yes I do. More often than I should be ok with. There have been times that I worked a code without gloves on.

 

[Ridryder911]

I never leave the truck without a pair on. As one that remembers when gloves were never carried, the company I worked at enforced a "fired if no BSI" policy. This got most of our attention, so I now never forget.

It's not that hard. I usually hand a pair as soon as we arrive to my partner driving, and a pair for myself before I exit the door.

R/r 911

 

[Sasha]

Just googled C-Diff and found this:

Infection control measures, such as wearing gloves when caring for patients with CDAD, have been proven to be effective at prevention. This works by limiting the spread of C. difficile in the hospital setting. In addition, washing with soap and water will eliminate the spores from contaminated hands, but alcohol-based hand rubs are ineffective

So? I washed my hands.

 

[emtgirl515]

Yesss! On my second clinical.....
First call of the day turned out to be a cardiac arrest & to my horror after I had started doing compressions I realized my bare hands, ahhhh!!! When I finally did get gloves there were only Large & XL on that particular truck which slipped down/off my hands anyway. *BSI* was officially drilled into my memory after that & stocking up on Small size gloves!!!

Oh the pt however did live, but I still haven't & probably won't ever live that one down

 

[RESQ_5_1]

So? I washed my hands.

If you look at my post, I didn't mention you specifically. You mentioned your pt had C-Diff. I posted what I did as an information source for everyone. Many people think that a quick rub with the disinfectant at the hospital is enough.

Not everything is a dig at you. Get over it.

 

[rescuepoppy]

I did, but remembered immediately just after I put my hand on the pt. to take their pulse. I wasn't in danger of blood or anything, but afterwards I felt bad about it and realized I could have put myself in some danger if there was a cut on my hand and I came in contact with blood or somehow mucous membranes.

It was banged into my head and I forgot... or I was just in to big a hurry.

This is something that a vast majority of us has done at one time or another. Is it the worst thing we can do? No. Is it a good habit to get into?No! If we make it routine to work on patients we deem to be low risk of cross contamination without gloves then we will be more likely to forget to glove on calls where the potential is higher. As some have mentioned i come from a time when gloves were not worn or were optional. I personally had trouble remembering to put them on when they first became mandatory. Now I feel almost naked being around a patient without them.

 

[jochi1543]

I've never forgotten gloves, but I always forget goggles with medical pts (unless I have to start an IV or do a BGL on them or something). Even after a friend told me that he had a stroke pt randomly projectile-vomit in his face and thanking god he had worn his goggles.

 

[reaper]

Just don't forget the full biochem suit and you Will be fine!