Testicular exam without gloves

Chemdude said:

My preceptor is really old school (graduated in the 70's). He doesn't wear gloves when doing testicular exams. I feel like it's awkward to wear gloves if he's not wearing them, so I haven't been wearing gloves either. Is it common for old(er) physicians to not wear gloves when doing testicular exams?

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Now that I think of it. Most of my past testicular exams have been done without gloves. My guess is a lot of patients shower before the physical. idk

I always wear gloves when I touch patients, ESPECIALLY when I touch a patient's testicles....they can get pretty gross and can have pretty nasty fungal infections - do not want that on your hands...do I really have to explain why haha?

I think the "old school" docs either aren't used to the practice since they likely practiced before gloves were a standard, or they don't care about long term health consequences of what they do anymore.

I use the same reasoning when doing pelvics

Chemdude said:

My preceptor is really old school (graduated in the 70's). He doesn't wear gloves when doing testicular exams. I feel like it's awkward to wear gloves if he's not wearing them, so I haven't been wearing gloves either. Is it common for old(er) physicians to not wear gloves when doing testicular exams?

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Though your hands are probably dirtier, you dont want to be fondling a sweaty pair of cracker jacks. Suit up. You might forget to wash and end up touching your face. That's an inadvertent teabag from an old dude.

I'm sure it's okay as long as you washed your hands before.

Do what you like or think is appropriate, never mind the old preceptor, if you want to wear gloves do it, I think nobody can fault you for wearing them, if anything some people might reproach you for not doing it in certain situations. And yes I have been in plenty situations and as a medical student and a resident where attendings didn't wear gloves and I did and nobody ever commented on it.
Personally, I wear gloves 100% of the time when doing any genitalia exams (pelvics, testes/penis, rectal) and any rashes, and probably 95% of the time for all other exams/pts.
Also, remember gloves aren't only for your protection but also for the pt's with open wounds etc from the germs you are carrying on your hands

Chemdude said:

My preceptor is really old school (graduated in the 70's). He doesn't wear gloves when doing testicular exams. I feel like it's awkward to wear gloves if he's not wearing them, so I haven't been wearing gloves either. Is it common for old(er) physicians to not wear gloves when doing testicular exams?

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Chemdude, listen to your preceptor and then one up him- don't wear gloves when doing a rectal.

I have a preceptor who is sooooo old-school. He doesn't even were gloves during surgery! Apparently he thinks that the germ theory is still being debated.

...

My preceptor lost discriminative touch in his upper extremity. Does the exam with his tongue.

Whats the fun in wearing gloves?

batch5000 said:

I have a preceptor who is sooooo old-school. He doesn't even were gloves during surgery! Apparently he thinks that the germ theory is still being debated.

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Psh! Germ theory is so new-age.

My chem professor still ascribes to phlogiston theory.

Chemdude said:

My preceptor is really old school (graduated in the 70's). He doesn't wear gloves when doing testicular exams. I feel like it's awkward to wear gloves if he's not wearing them, so I haven't been wearing gloves either. Is it common for old(er) physicians to not wear gloves when doing testicular exams?

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Haha, who masturbates with GLOVES on...

I would personally wear gloves but,yes, it seems like a lot of old timers NEVER use gloves. I have noticed this and just ignore it. From my perspective, using gloves cuts down on the transmission of stuff like MRSA and it makes me feel less gross. Double win for me.

I glove up, but I have to admit I lose some sensitivity in the fingertips...makes you wonder if using gloves and washing hands before & after (seriously, who would ever forget to wash hands after you touch a patient's giggleberries with bare hands???) isn't the better way to go.

hey man, I want you to go home, put some on some relaxing music, sit down in a quiet place and ask yourself a serious question:
















"Do I want herpes?"

e30ftw said:

hey man, I want you to go home, put some on some relaxing music, sit down in a quiet place and ask yourself a serious question:
















"Do I want herpes?"

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Sure. Why not? Think about all of the potential hot chicks you could meet at the support groups, and you'll know they put out. Probably won't bother you about using a rubber either.

Chemdude said:

My preceptor is really old school (graduated in the 70's). He doesn't wear gloves when doing testicular exams. I feel like it's awkward to wear gloves if he's not wearing them, so I haven't been wearing gloves either. Is it common for old(er) physicians to not wear gloves when doing testicular exams?

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Once you've seen a few of your classmates catch scabies, a MRSA boil or other skin nastiness, you will get smart and start putting on gloves for even the least invasive exams. You don't need to be handling some dude's genital warts commando style. Your preceptor is being a fool, and violating practice norms. No amount of awkwardness should make you do so too. This is the dumbest form of peer pressure I've ever heard of.

Law2Doc said:

Once you've seen a few of your classmates catch scabies, a MRSA boil or other skin nastiness, you will get smart and start putting on gloves for even the least invasive exams. You don't need to be handling some dude's genital warts commando style. Your preceptor is being a fool, and violating practice norms. No amount of awkwardness should make you do so too. This is the dumbest form of peer pressure I've ever heard of.

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The best part about scabies is how they love to burrow under your nipples and then down into your penis and testicles.

Maybe if the OP is lucky he'll get to experience a glove free testicular exam first hand.

alpinism said:

The best part about scabies is how they love to burrow under your nipples and then down into your penis and testicles.

Maybe if the OP is lucky he'll get to experience a glove free testicular exam first hand.

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I think OP just likes it.

ewww... i glove up for every single tiny little thing essentially.. unless all i plan to do is auscultate and the patient smells clean LOL

My preceptor is from the 70s too. I've seen him remove warts without gloves and also touch herpes.

rodmichael82 said:

My preceptor is from the 70s too. I've seen him remove warts without gloves and also touch herpes.

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w
t
f

Chemdude said:

Haha do you guys think I enjoyed the experience? Of course not. I still can't get over the fact that I pretty much fondled a 60 yo man yesterday. It was an extremely awkward experience. I'm a lowly MS1, so I am grateful that my preceptor allows me to do things that my peers normally don't do. Asking for gloves would have made the situation awkward for my preceptor and the patient. The guy is a seasoned physician who has been practising for close to 40 years...If I asked for gloves, I'd imagine that he'd say something along the lines of "man up, you're a doctor now."

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don't sweat it, yo, I am sure 99% of us would have done the same thing in your situation.

Chemdude said:

Haha do you guys think I enjoyed the experience? Of course not. I still can't get over the fact that I pretty much fondled a 60 yo man yesterday. It was an extremely awkward experience. I'm a lowly MS1, so I am grateful that my preceptor allows me to do things that my peers normally don't do. Asking for gloves would have made the situation awkward for my preceptor and the patient. The guy is a seasoned physician who has been practising for close to 40 years...If I asked for gloves, I'd imagine that he'd say something along the lines of "man up, you're a doctor now."

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HAHA, wow. You liked it OP, stop lying. If you can get pressured into touching another man's testicles, Idk what you can't get pressure into. I still think you're trolling but, if not, then just ask for gloves next time.

Chemdude said:

Haha do you guys think I enjoyed the experience? Of course not. I still can't get over the fact that I pretty much fondled a 60 yo man yesterday. It was an extremely awkward experience. I'm a lowly MS1, so I am grateful that my preceptor allows me to do things that my peers normally don't do. Asking for gloves would have made the situation awkward for my preceptor and the patient. The guy is a seasoned physician who has been practising for close to 40 years...If I asked for gloves, I'd imagine that he'd say something along the lines of "man up, you're a doctor now."

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Doubtful. Most likely he wouldn't have said anything. Or grabbed a pair of gloves himself once he saw them handy. You get no points in life following stupid people off a cliff, even if they seem happy to have you follow them. I'd say "grow a pair" but it seems somehow inappropriate for this discussion.

michaelrack said:

Chemdude, listen to your preceptor and then one up him- don't wear gloves when doing a rectal.

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After the rectal, lick your finger, hold it up in that checking the wind gesture, and say: "Big storm on the way."

[Don't really do the exam without gloves.

Guaranteed to make for a memory that'll make you a legend among your peers for life.

ruprecht said:

After the rectal, lick your finger, hold it up in that checking the wind gesture, and say: "Big storm on the way."

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"Big storm on the way"? That is not medically useful information. You should lick your finger and be able to tell if it is heme positive or not. At least that is what me and some of the ER docs I worked with did. And we always wore gloves.

Chemdude said:

A second year at my school got really flustered and did a rectal with no gloves while he was practising on a standardized patient.

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Dude, ok, that is too far. You have to be trolling...

Chemdude said:

I think that you've forgotten what it's like to be a first year. As a first year, I was never formally taught how to do a testicular exam. Not many first years have the courage to question the practices of an attending.

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Um no. I remember it vividly. I think there are a few attendings at every school who don't religiously bother with gloves, but 99.9% of students and residents aren't going to have a problem figuring out a way of protecting themselves without offending anyone. We all just talk about how foolish the attending is being behind his back, and feel sorry for his family who he brings germs home to. In this day and age there is maybe only one excuse to not gloving, and that is if you are in an emergent situation where time is truly of the essence -- eg CPR where no gloves are handy. Otherwise you need to assume everybody has MRSA or worse and keep a glove between you and them. If you are truly too cowardly to protect yourself I predict you will spend more time as a Patient than a Doctor.

Back when I was an ER tech I was doing an absurd amount of EKGs one day and was in a rush. I normally didn't wear gloves for this because you really don't even touch the patient, right?

Wrong. I walk into one room and before me lays the fattest hairiest woman I have ever seen. The nurses were already in there drawing blood and whatnot and they quickly make space for me gesturing me to come over. So now I am standing in the midst of nurses, none of whom have gloves on, trying to figure out how I can lift a hairy visibly sweaty 30lb tit to place my leads. I start to make for the gloves but the lady is staring straight at me and the gloves are on the other side of the bed across the room. If I get them now I look like a huge *******. It would be obvious why I was grabbing them. So yea....still have nightmares.

Now I grab gloves immediately upon entering the room. If I don't need them I don't put them on, but at least with them in hand it doesn't look to the patient that you are donning them to avoid touching them should the need arise.

Chemdude said:

I'm not saying that what I did was right. I have only done testicular exams under the supervision of my preceptor. Of course I know that wearing gloves is a great protective measure, but I was not aware that I was violating practice norms by not wearing gloves. I will talk to my preceptor about wearing gloves the next time I see him.

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don't "talk to him about it." it's not really a discussion issue -- he may take it wrong. Just when it's your turn to do the exam, wander over and grab a pair of gloves -- they are easily found in every hospital room I've ever seen. Or carry an extra pair or two in your white coat.

No fuss no muss; No need to discuss.

Silence Dogood said:

...I can lift a hairy, visibly sweaty, 30lb tit...

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This thread made my night...
OP, get some gloves man, or carry spares in your pocket.

if it makes you feel any better, during anatomy, one of the VPs never used gloves during wet lab.....mmmm mmmm nothing is better than examining the abdomen of a 300lb deceased pnt

Fatalis said:

if it makes you feel any better, during anatomy, one of the VPs never used gloves during wet lab.....mmmm mmmm nothing is better than examining the abdomen of a 300lb deceased pnt

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Eh I've seen a couple people do that during anatomy too. That's really not in the same ballpark for me...sure its gross but there really isn't much to worry about after a body has been soaking in formalin for months.

calvnandhobbs68 said:

Eh I've seen a couple people do that during anatomy too. That's really not in the same ballpark for me...sure its gross but there really isn't much to worry about after a body has been soaking in formalin for months.

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....except the formaldehyde itself.

Spinach Dip said:

....except the formaldehyde itself.

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lol true true

michaelrack said:

Chemdude, listen to your preceptor and then one up him- don't wear gloves when doing a rectal.

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ROTFLMAO

Teared up laughing over that one. That's a 10 out of 10 response.

True story, I know of a doctor at a hospital around here that routinely does rectals without gloves. Something about getting a better sense of whats in there.

Ronin786 said:

True story, I know of a doctor at a hospital around here that routinely does rectals without gloves. Something about getting a better sense of whats in there.

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gtfo

Ronin786 said:

True story, I know of a doctor at a hospital around here that routinely does rectals without gloves. Something about getting a better sense of whats in there.

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Someone didn't take parasitology...

Ronin786 said:

True story, I know of a doctor at a hospital around here that routinely does rectals without gloves. Something about getting a better sense of whats in there.

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Also I don't think that I would allow that if I was the patient...

Ronin786 said:

True story, I know of a doctor at a hospital around here that routinely does rectals without gloves. Something about getting a better sense of whats in there.

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Trolling hard bro?