Use of a towel to collect debris

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Colleagues ,

do you guys use a towel (such as the type that you use in the bathroom at home) to collect the debris brought about by treatment. At college, we were always taught to use a paper towel, but I have heard of people using a bathroom type towel during treatments.

 

Both examples of poor practice. Current guidelines suggest wearing disposable paper trousers with double-sided adhesive tape down the front of the thighs which the debris then sticks firmly to. Works a treat and keeps the legs warm on these long winter afternoons. You should throw them away at the end of the day but I know of some OCD types that won't take them off until every last bit of tape has been covered. You just got to be careful not to cross your legs...

Are you bored, perchance?

 

Surely thats more of a cross infection risk than a dissposable apron and a leaf of couch roll per patient, never mind the cost implications!?

 

Who's been messing with my posts? Did I mention the 'C' word or something?

 

No but I think I dropped a few 'C' bombs

 

Never touch the stuff and I don't think Diana did either after the first time. Ghastly sobriquet too. The world implodes and we're hiding behind bed towels...

 

I have always used a plastic foot tray to collect debris which I carefully clean with IPA and kitchen roll after each use. I also have a Black and Decker hand held vacuum cleaner to pick up anything that might have escaped on the floor. Also wipe the foorl at the end of the day. When I did home visits and had to use large sheets of paper towel I also used a disposable plastic apron.

 

Love the trousers Mark. Colleague suggested that a coffee spoon near the instruments awaiting autoclave posed a cross infection risk...

 

You got an autoclave, Elizabeth?? Simone will be jealous! Seemingly they're quite good for removing difficult stains but not had that experience recently. I still have a few gallons of gluteraldehyde left for an annual swill (instruments only)...

 

A great stress buster, zsuzy, and highly recommended. I have a feeling that most colleagues do the same but will strenuously deny any suggestion. Gotta watch out for RSI though (not to mention deterioration in eyesh!te) and don't mention it on your CPD audit with the Hoochie-Coochie - they may ask for a demonstration...

 

A patient told me that when she asked her chiropodist years ago if he had to clean up all the debris at the end of the day, he replied that he didn't bother as the rats ate it all during the night......

 

All the best establishments use rats. Antoine's Restaurant in the French Quarter of New Orleans have the river rats from the Mississippi clean the food scraps off the floor every evening. If you're a late diner and think your table guest is playing footsie, you'd be wise not to reciprocate! Antoine's has an incredible clientele and what's good for them must be acceptable for mere skin scrapers and toenail clippers don't you think? You must have a small animal certificate and be registered with the RSPCA but it's well worth it. If you don't like sticky trousers or you don't like scratching yourself with nail clippings after the bath at bedtime.......get a rat.

http://www.antoines.com