Preparing for clinical observations
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Clinical Observations: Precautions and Equipment Hygiene
Precautions Before Clinical Observations
Mark, before we proceed with clinical observations, let's discuss the precautions:
- Standard Precautions: If you're not dealing with an infectious risk, gloves are sufficient.
- Hand Hygiene: Always wash hands thoroughly before wearing gloves and ensure they are properly dried.
- Special Precautions: For high-risk patients, we use PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) such as gloves, gown, plastic apron, face mask, and face shield.
Cleaning of Equipment
All equipment is cleaned:
- Between Patients: Equipment is cleaned thoroughly after each patient interaction.
Data Entry and Hand Hygiene
When entering data or making phone calls:
- After Patient Contact: Remove gloves, clean hands with alcohol gel or wash them, then proceed with data entry or phone calls.
- Before Re-approaching Patient: Clean hands again and put on fresh gloves.
Cleaning Small Equipment
Regarding small items like penlight torches and pens:
- Keep Clean: Items like penlight torches and pens must be kept clean.
- Procedure: Remove gloves, clean hands, ensure equipment is clean before use, and handle with the same gloves if not contaminated.
These protocols ensure infection control and safety during clinical observations.