laryngoscopes

[VentMedic]

Our parent hospital is on a big C. Difficile kick, and actually, I can't argue the logic. The spores can only be killed by high-level disinfection or sterilization.

Yes that has been a serious concern for hospitals throughout he country. As well, with the deadly outbreak of bacteria at a L.A. hospital a couple of years ago and the blame was placed on the laryngoscope blade, everyone using scopes in the hospital have been on alert and have enhanced their cleaning policies. That incident closed the hospsital's NICU and PICU after 33 children were affected and at least one died. The bacteria a fairly common one called pseudomonas aeruginosa.

This is also a huge concern in the Anaesthesia department and if you surf up some articles you will find extensive information on handles, blades and their cleaning.

Many of the GI bugs enter into the respiratory tract when one touches the patient or bed clothes and then touches the blade or tube. Escherichia coli (E. Coli) is what we will sometimes see for a respiratory infection. Whatever equipment you have at bedside such as your intubation bag can be contaminated and then carried to the next patient you see and that is usually how C. Diff is spread.

As for the C. Diff, we do have to remind the ambulance crews that transport patients with it to use the bleach based wipes which we have everywhere for that purpose.

Microbiology seriously needs to be a prerequisite for EMT-B since they transport the most patients to and from other facilities that have immunosuppressed and surgical patients.

Read a few reviews for Anaesthesia and see which scope they believe are the easiest to clean and care for. There have also been numerous articles written about scopes in the Infection Control Journals since the L.A. incident. Although, in all fairness there were a few other hospitals with similar incidents but not quite with the same numbers but deadly just the same.

Edited July 21, 2009 by VentMedic

[croaker260]

Well, about 3 years ago we purchased our own autoclave for our main station. Turn around on our blades is 1 day during the week, or the next buiseness day. Supervisors carry extra blades to restock units PRN, just like narcotics.