The health sector is one of the industries that requires touch to operate. Due to the global pandemic, ᴍᴀɴy people are apprehensive about visiting hospitals and undergoing scans. Every other part may be avoided or handled digitally, but face-to-face interaction is necessary in the healthcare industry. The cleanliness of the equipment and the safety of the scanning procedures are frequently the patients’ top concerns. So, if you work in the medical field, here are the steps you should take to ensure that ultrasound and scans are safe for your patients:
1. Practice Social distancing
You might not be able to avoid going to hospitals if your health necessitates it. Maintaining social distance is always a must, though, even in these circumstances. Aim to space patients out by at least 5-6 steps, and plan appointments every 20–30 minutes. In this ᴍᴀɴner, you will have time to cleanse and tidy the space before the subsequent patient arrives. That lessens the possibility of an ɪʟʟɴᴇss spreading.
2. Sanitize Equipment
Changing the linens on the beds and scrubbing the couches are only two examples of cleaning and sanitizing. After each patient, the scanner’s equipment needs to be completely sanitized. To lessen the chance of the infection spreading, they must be cleaned using disinfectants. Before caring for every patient and after every patient, hospital staff members are required to put on clean, sterilized gloves and adhere to proper hand hygiene procedures.
3. Ready The Rooms
The hospital rooms must be well cleaned and maintained ready before the next patient enters them because they are frequently occupied by ill patients. Health professionals advise keeping a 20–30 minute delay between patients so that the rooms can be cleaned. Use cloth that can be quickly cleaned with a disinfectant whenever possible. Remove any extraneous items from the space that could harbor the infection and stay there. Maintain a tidy space with only the tools and accessories that are necessary and can be cleaned after each patient.
4. Single-Gel Packets
To ensure patient safety, experts advise hospitals to scan single gel packs. They advise against boiling or refilling a bottle of gel, and only advocate non-sterile gel packets for external ultrasonography tests. The bottles can only be used for external exams in the event that the gel packets are not functional. Additionally, according to experts, medical practitioners can evaluate a patient with one hand while typing, dispensing equipment, or updating patient records with the other hand while still performing other jobs.
5. Don’t Forget The Personal Protective Equipment
Nowadays, wearing a mask is expected, and hospitals are no exception. Make that everyone entering and leaving the hospital is wearing their protective gear at all times. Any time a medical expert enters a patient’s room to examine them or even speak with them, they are required to wear a surgical mask. These single-use disposable masks are not intended to be reused. Therefore, make sure they are replaced whenever you move from one patient room to another. In other situations, everyone must wear a respirator mask like the N95 to assure complete safety, including the patient and doctor. Gloves and other protective equipment are also necessary when working with patients, aside from this.
We must exercise extraordinary vigilance and take extra safety precautions in light of the widespread pandemic that has taken hold. Incorporating hand hygiene, sanitizers, and masks into our everyday routines must not be compromised; our hygiene levels must be impeccable. Social distance and avoiding filthy situations are also requirements along with all these safety measures. Therefore, the only thing we can do for the time being is to stay at home and be safe.
Video resource: Brittney G