That watch on your wrist is nasty.

[LucidResq]

I was reading an article recently that discussed some study that revealed (surprise, surprise) health care provider's wrist watches are covered in wee-beasties and can spread infection. I'm trying to find the article/study.

I didn't need a study to tell me this previously, so I typically Cavicide the f*** out of my watch and steth daily, but this probably isn't enough. Take a microbiology lab course and you realize that all of our "sterilization" and "antimicrobial" efforts are a joke.

I brought this topic up in my CNA class, and the consensus of the genius panel was "don't wear one and use the clock on the wall."

Easy for them to say.

Any brilliant ideas on how to keep time without wearing a wrist watch or walls to put clocks on?

 

[LucidResq]

Aha, found something related. Apparently the NHS has banned wearing anything below the elbow due to concerns about wrist watches and the likes spreading infections, and some people are upset.

 

[LucidResq]

Hmm... actually finding evidence against this idea as I research it...

Bacterial colonization of wristwatches worn by health care personnel

We examined bacterial colonization of wristwatches worn by 100 health care personnel in a community-teaching hospital. Seventy-eight percent of the wristwatches were colonized with bacterial skin flora, with only 1 of the 100 watches growing a potential pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus. Watches are unlikely to be sources of health-care associated pathogens.

 

[abuan]

that's nasty, but not at all surprising. this is how i keep time. probably not 100% cleaner. but i sani-wipe and disinfect it after every call.dont' wanna take any critters home y'know.

 

[TransportJockey]

The people who wear the fabric watchbands have it even worse. When working I try to make sure my gloves cover my watch whenever I'm not actively using it, then I cancer wipe the hell out of it

 

[Sasha]

Count it out "ONE one thousand TWO one thousand THREE one thousand" just don't forget to count pulse beats

Just kidding.

No, no alternative to wearing a watch, but the nifty steth watch looks cool.

 

[Aidey]

I don't wear one. I have a watch in my pocket if I need it, but I rarely do. If I have to get it out I take my glove off first.

 

[Seaglass]

The people who wear the fabric watchbands have it even worse. When working I try to make sure my gloves cover my watch whenever I'm not actively using it, then I cancer wipe the hell out of it

Me too.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

The people who wear the fabric watchbands have it even worse. When working I try to make sure my gloves cover my watch whenever I'm not actively using it, then I cancer wipe the hell out of it

Me three. It gets washed when I wash my hands.

 

[Radioactive]

I am a watch guy, so I was kinda interested in this. I'm not really concerned, though. I would think as long as your watch is made of non-porous material (people wear watches with fabric wristbands?) and cleaned regularly, it shouldn't be any problem. As was previously mentioned, I also use my glove to cover my watch whenever possible.

 

[TransportJockey]

I am a watch guy, so I was kinda interested in this. I'm not really concerned, though. I would think as long as your watch is made of non-porous material (people wear watches with fabric wristbands?) and cleaned regularly, it shouldn't be any problem. As was previously mentioned, I also use my glove to cover my watch whenever possible.

Yea. A lot of the sport bands with velcro are made of a fabric material

 

[EMSLaw]

In the field, as opposed to in a hospital, I can't see any real alternative to wearing a watch. You need one - for the times on your reports, taking a pulse, counting respirations, calculating how long until your shift is over... You know, important stuff.

We do have clocks with sweeping second hands in our ambulances. They don't work in some rigs, and in others are position such that you can't see them from the bench or CPR seat.

There is no possible way to create a germ-free environment, unless you want to somehow be the bubble EMT (and how would you drive then?). I suggest we autoclave the patients before putting them in the rig.

 

[eveningsky339]

I was reading an article recently that discussed some study that revealed (surprise, surprise) health care provider's wrist watches are covered in wee-beasties and can spread infection. I'm trying to find the article/study.

I didn't need a study to tell me this previously, so I typically Cavicide the f*** out of my watch and steth daily, but this probably isn't enough. Take a microbiology lab course and you realize that all of our "sterilization" and "antimicrobial" efforts are a joke.

I brought this topic up in my CNA class, and the consensus of the genius panel was "don't wear one and use the clock on the wall."

Easy for them to say.

Any brilliant ideas on how to keep time without wearing a wrist watch or walls to put clocks on?

Here's what I learned in my CNA class right from my instructor, who is an infection control RN.

Don't use the clock, use a watch. At the end of your shift, scrub your hands (as you should be doing throughout the day!) and "alcohol" your watch.

It's not enough for sure, but better than nothing.

 

[MrBrown]

I try and cover mine by pulling the proxmial end of my left glove up over it however they always used to break or just end up awkward.

Recently I started using the large blue gloves and they work a treat as they are made out of thicker latex and don't break quite as easy.

I perfer the cloth/velcro bands which you can take out and wash.

This got me thinking; I am not sure if watch or wedding band would be worse for germs and nasties. However I suppose you can wash both.

 

[EMSLaw]

This got me thinking; I am not sure if watch or wedding band would be worse for germs and nasties. However I suppose you can wash both.

The wedding band is almost always covered by gloves, and a plain one has less surfaces for nasties to live in.

Brown, you should launch an evidenced-based study. Then we can get a pilot program where EMTs are allowed to wear only disposable paper jumpsuits to calls.

 

[Veneficus]

Go play in the dirt.

with an average of 86 different species of normal skin flora, microogranisms aren't "the enemy."

Attempting to kill bacteria everywhere we found it has contributed significantly to resistant strains. Which is why we don't give antibiotics to everyone with a cold anymore and try to match specific ab with specific organisms and don't vanc everyone that comes in the door. Microorganisms like primates compete for resources of metabolism. Would you rather have a bacterial strain your body developed an immune response to living and growing on your skin or kill it and work all day in an environment where only organisms that survived the environment incompatible with life thrive?

At some point in biology everyone learns that an ecosystem is part of normal life. It isn't limited to cute and cuddly organisms.

From an immune standpoint, we as organisms cannot develop normal immune responses without being exposed to non pathogenic amounts of organisms. It is one of the reasons why children who grow up in hyper clean environments develop troubles with immunity, always seem to get sick, get sick very dramitically, and even have a higher instance of asthma.

1 in 7 people is a carrier for S. Aureus usully in their nasal tract. But it can be other places Should we have everyone swabbed and cultured to see if they can bring their nose to work?

When working in an environment where reduced or near zero bacterial counts are required, specific precautions, and equipment is used. It is why nobody wears a watch performing surgery among others.

A homeostatic balance of micro organisms is required not only for a healthy life, but for any life at all. Kill all the bacteria in your GI or female reproductive tract and and see how that works out for you.

From an evolutionary standpoint, what would the consequences have been of killing off the precusor species of mitochondria?

Our cells would not have been able to utilize oxygen. We in all likelyhood wouldn't have made it to multicelled organisms.

Paranoia is a mental disorder.

On the bright side, maybe it will aid in natural selection and the adults and the children of the people advocating a goal of near sterility will not survive to reproduce or not be able to.

 

[Veneficus]

The wedding band is almost always covered by gloves, and a plain one has less surfaces for nasties to live in.

Brown, you should launch an evidenced-based study. Then we can get a pilot program where EMTs are allowed to wear only disposable paper jumpsuits to calls.

If I have to wear tear away clothing I want pay parody with strippers.

 

[EMSLaw]

If I have to wear tear away clothing I want pay parody with strippers.

Maybe patients can slip tips into your pants after the call?

My point was, of course, that we don't change our clothes after every call, and while we clean the rig, it is hardly a sterile environment. I agree with you that the microbe paranoia is taken to extremes.

I will probably be castigated for this, but I have even taken a pulse or blood pressure without wearing gloves now and again. I'm sure there is a special place in hell reserved for people like me.

 

[Scout]

?? I've no probelm cleaning my watch as needed. I also found that covering my watch actually increased my contact with it when I folded back the glove to use it.

 

[medicdan]

Scoit, not sure if that was what your picture referred to... but when I'm at work, I leave my watch on a loop of my pants... and actually, often wash it with my pants... which is partly laziness, partly Infection Control... I guess...