How can I protect myself against VRE, ORSA, etc?
Tuesday, October 16th, 2007
crow_326 asked:
I’m not a nurse or a tech but I do work in a busy ER as a registrar. On any given day I might handle 5 or 6 patients that have VRE or ORSA. I have to touch them to put on a hospital wristband. I also touch things they have touched–forms,insurance cards etc. How likely is it that I could contract VRE or another contact bacteria from this minimal contact? Many of the nurses in the ER don’t even wear gloves around these patients. Should I wear gloves for such limited contact or will I be safe if I just alcohol foam my hands directly after contact?
I’m not a nurse or a tech but I do work in a busy ER as a registrar. On any given day I might handle 5 or 6 patients that have VRE or ORSA. I have to touch them to put on a hospital wristband. I also touch things they have touched–forms,insurance cards etc. How likely is it that I could contract VRE or another contact bacteria from this minimal contact? Many of the nurses in the ER don’t even wear gloves around these patients. Should I wear gloves for such limited contact or will I be safe if I just alcohol foam my hands directly after contact?