EBME Forums Forums Management Equipment Libraries Decontamination

Thread started to take the spillage from the 'Blackpool forum' thread. - Admin


Surely equipment should be decontaminated on the wards by the staff that use it, each time they finish with it.

What use is the current enthasis on washing hands and using acohol rubs, if dirty equipment is picked up?

Lee

It might be worth doing a survey of decontamination procedures in each Trust and presenting these findings at the Forum. It would be interesting to note what involvement Infection Control have in the process.
Surely if an Equipment Library is offered with full responsibility for the equipmant, ie. servicing, replacement, training etc. then they are also responsible for cleaning and decontamination?

I still think the users should be responsible for decontaminating the equipment they have used. There are many potential problems that must be covered if the decontamination is carried out in the Library.

Equipment does not always go back to a library between patients; do you have a different cleaning regime for these?

If dirty equipment is put in a trolley then taken to various other wards on the way back to the store does it present a risk to those areas, is there a chance of contaminating other equipment that is being dropped off? Can you ensure that used equipment is not taken from the trolley before it gets back to the store?

Do the library staff clean their hands after they've put each piece of equipment into the trolley? Do they clean the trolley between every trip?

I'm sure there are lots of other problem areas that could be found.

Lee

If a correct policy is put in place that insists that the user places the equipment in a suitable bag or similar after use and then placed in a designated area for collection, then the library carries out the correct cleaning/decontamination.
You can't rely on the nursing staff to clean the equipment, and if you do, how is it checked?
With a well thought out policy and procedure, then all contamination and cleaning for ALL devices that are used on patients can be achieved.

Sorry I don't agree, if you can't trust the nurses to decontaminate the equipment can you trust them to put the equipment in the bags? or to put them inside the bags with out touching the outsides. Can the bags split, who stocks the bags? etc.

A simple policy saying that the users decontaminate the equipment should be sufficient after all they follow the policy on cleaning hands etc don't thay?

Lee

TIME!!!!! Nurses don't have any!!!!!!

No they don't, but the rest of us have so much.

Lee

... that is the policy! (isn't it?)

Kawa:- lots of nurses, very few techs!

Geoff:- Patients and treatment versus equipment and PPM, the phrase "economies of scale" comes to mind.

Thread started to take the spillage from the 'Blackpool forum' thread.