Tech in Surgery Prep / Unit 19 TSC 460 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Contaminated Gloves and Gowns
The idea
A contaminated, torn or punctured glove or gown is replaced at once, following the facility's procedure.
In practice
Follow the general approach. First, stop and say what happened. Second, step back from the field so nothing else is touched. Third, the contaminated item is removed with help from an unsterile team member, as the procedure directs. Fourth, a sterile replacement is put on. Fifth, check whether anything was touched between the contamination and the change, and replace that too. Sixth, if a puncture may have broken the skin, report it as a possible exposure.
Where people slip
A glove change takes a minute; a hidden contamination can last the rest of the case. Changing a glove is never a reason for apology, and asking a colleague to change one is never an insult. The team's shared aim is a field that is sterile, not a field that looks sterile.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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