Eye Protection

[BuddingEMT]

Smart or paranoid?

I have a fear of getting bodily fluids in my eyes. I wear safety glasses on every call. The guys I work with give me a hard time about it, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

How often do you wear your safety glasses?

 

[MMiz]

I never wore them, though in retrospect I probably should have on quite a few calls. In fact I don't think a single EMT I've worked with has worn glasses or goggles.

That said, I think they're a great idea. A decade or two ago medics who wore gloves were called dorks. You're just ahead of your time.

 

[TransportJockey]

I wear clear safety lenses on my Oakleys when on shift at night, and a lot during the day. Other times during the day, my Oakleys have safety rated tinted lenses

 

[VentMedic]

I have a few different eye protection devices I wear depending on what I am doing and where.

If there is any chance of body fluids or other flying objects like during extrication, eye protection should be worn.

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

I used to wear them on pretty much every call. Now I make a judgment call but err on the side of caution. Yeah I got some flack for it, but i'd rather be safe. One partner had the audacity to tell me the my wearing glasses might offend some patients. I told him that if he preferred not to offend patients and risk it, that was his choice, but I'd rather offend a patient who doesn't understand BSI than put myself at risk.

That being said, no one has ever told me that my wearing gloves or glasses was offending them.

I do wear glasses so my judgment call might be different than yours. But there are sometimes I prefer the entire glasses shield. Also, it prevents the sweat from getting into my eyes on those Oh S*** calls that you are getting very physical on.

 

[Shishkabob]

After being vomited on all over my shirt, face, and hair by a drunk rollover guy... any chance there is for any bodily fluids to go flying, and aren't mine, I have glasses nearby.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Don't know what it's like in your neighborhood, but King County WA requires all EMS providers wear safety glasses on every call.

My partner hates 'em, but after a while, you just get used to it and don't even realize you have 'em on. I have prescription lenses in my safety glasses, so I always have 'em on when I'm on the truck.

After being puked on and spit on, I can see why they're required here.

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

Don't know what it's like in your neighborhood, but King County WA requires all EMS providers wear safety glasses on every call.

My partner hates 'em, but after a while, you just get used to it and don't even realize you have 'em on. I have prescription lenses in my safety glasses, so I always have 'em on when I'm on the truck.

After being puked on and spit on, I can see why they're required here.

Now that you mention it I recall one of the departments in the southeast portion of the county does require their medics to wear saftey glasses on all calls. I just don't see them very often, but now that you mention it when I do see them in the hospitals, they always have them on.

 

[wyoskibum]

Smart or paranoid?

SMART

How often do you wear your safety glasses?

I use to wear mine on every call, better to be safe than sorry. Now I have glasses that I need to wear so I make do with that. They aren't as good as the safety glasses, but I can see.

 

[Hockey]

I wear my Oakleys

Why?


Because it makes me look cool and they think I know a lot of stuff


But in reality, its just to protect them from seeing me roll my eyes when having to listen to the baby mama smacked me fo stealing her crack I gotta go to the hosp so I can get some of that Dilaudid story


[/s]


Sure its smart

Do I do it? Nope

 

[AnthonyM83]

Currently, we have to wear them on every single call by policy.
Honestly, it's not as dorky if everyone else is wearing them, too.

What I found interesting when someone asked people from another agency what they thought of the policy, everyone present admitted it logically made sense and that it would have saved each one of them from having to take prophylactic medication (that really messes with your body) after an exposure.

I logically can't disagree with the policy.
As it is now, I'll wear at the start of every call. Then decide, whether to continue use.

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

Currently, we have to wear them on every single call by policy.
Honestly, it's not as dorky if everyone else is wearing them, too.

What I found interesting when someone asked people from another agency what they thought of the policy, everyone present admitted it logically made sense and that it would have saved each one of them from having to take prophylactic medication (that really messes with your body) after an exposure.

I logically can't disagree with the policy.
As it is now, I'll wear at the start of every call. Then decide, whether to continue use.

I take the opposite approach.

I keep them off when I get there, and put tem on as necessary. But my threshold might be lower than yours is. If they are caoughing or sneezing I'll put them on...

 

[MendoEMT]

Granted, most exposures end up happening when you get junk in your eyes, but the only time I really wear eye protection is if we get a vomiter/spitter/bleeder. Why the heck would you wear them any time else? It's not as though a finger stick on a diabetic will turn into a gusher.B)

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

Granted, most exposures end up happening when you get junk in your eyes, but the only time I really wear eye protection is if we get a vomiter/spitter/bleeder. Why the heck would you wear them any time else? It's not as though a finger stick on a diabetic will turn into a gusher.B)

I take it you've never had a medic hit something he wasn't suppossed to when starting an IV?

Also if a ptif coughing or sneezing I'll wear it if they don'thave an NRB on. I'll usually give them an NRB if they need o2 instead of their cannula, but if not I'll wear a mask with eyeshield.

 

[MendoEMT]

I take it you've never had a medic hit something he wasn't suppossed to when starting an IV?

Also if a ptif coughing or sneezing I'll wear it if they don'thave an NRB on. I'll usually give them an NRB if they need o2 instead of their cannula, but if not I'll wear a mask with eyeshield.

I understand being cautious, but I don't think we need to be paranoid. Be careful, wear gloves, wear eyes when you need them, but don't get all crazy and start plastic-wrapping peoples' head just because they may breathe on you. Unless they have swine-flu..........

 

[marineman]

In my service we have a few medics that wear them on every call, a few that wear them sometimes and everyone I've seen so far wears a mask with a shield when intubating. I keep mine in my cargo pocket so they're always there if I need them but I don't wear them every call.

It's a personal choice, much like some feel it's 100% necessary to have gloves on any time you touch a patient and others only use them when there's body fluids present. Nothing wrong with either approach in my eyes. If you have a company policy to always wear them I'd follow that otherwise if something happens you probably won't be covered.

 

[HotelCo]

I never really wore them much, now I'm better about wearing them. If I'm not wearing them, they're on my person.

 

[motomedic]

Im a new paramedic but been in the field for a while. emt Basic. firefighter. Who cares if some1 makes fun of you, you dont wanna take anything home to your mom dad sister brother wife or kids. I roll glasses everycall and especially when im starting a line or intubating. after a few shifts it will just become habit. the saying safe or sorry hasnt been around for ever for nothing. Cheers!

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

Yeah, you do get used to it quick. Find a pair you like so they're not a hassel.

And in regards to the gloves, I do still know some older medics who selectively wear gloves. One day the In Charge Medic, a gentlemen in his 50s and 2 of us young guys (not even 50 when you add our ages together) plus a medic student riding roll up to a apartment where a womn has visible rashes all over. In Charge calls out, "BSI Everybody!" and we all turn to him and look at him, all 6 of our hands already sporting bright green gloves. His response, "Man, i feel old..."