Blood on stethoscope

[lightatresia]

I am rotating through my peds rotation, and truly love it. But one thing worries me. I think I am probably too paranoid.

When pediatricians attend newborns in the OR or birthing suit, there is often a lot of blood/body fluid on the baby, which can go everyone despite the best effort to clean the baby thoroughly with towels. And the blood often gets on the stethoscope as well.

Were pediatricians ever worried that the blood can touch the earpiece of the stethoscope and get into their ears?

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[mk04447]

This is actually a huge problem, but it isn't the earpiece you should be worried about. Schools don't want students to worry, so they keep this from you, but blood commonly works it's way up your stethoscope into your ears. That's why you really have to heed the expiration date on them.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Well, the stethoscope should be hanging either above the warmer or somewhere next to the warmer before it's in use, and It's not like blood is literally gushing several feet in the air by the time the baby makes it to the warmer. While I can imagine some of the blood getting on the bell and tubing of the stethoscope once you start using it, I struggle to see how it could make it up to your earpiece...

I suppose it's theoretically possible, but given that you'll probably have blood accidentally get on you at some point during your medical career, I'd be more worried about poop and vomit on your peds rotation.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

I’ve attended a lot of deliveries and this is the first time blood in my ears has ever crossed my mind. Yeah I think you are overestimating the amount of blood in deliveries. When the baby is born, they either put it directly on mom where nursing dries, cleans, and warms it, or they put it in a drying towel and the nurse carries the baby to the warmer. By the time you see the baby, worst case, it has gone through a “layer” or wiping and drying.

 

[GonnaBeADoc2222]

You need to become more comfortable in these types of situations. You will be exposed to all sorts of stuff throughout your career - it's the inherent risk we take. Rates of HIV/HCV transmission to health care workers is very low. If exposed to potentially infected fluids on intact skin, irrigate with water for 5-10 minutes.

 

[Giic]

This is actually a huge problem, but it isn't the earpiece you should be worried about. Schools don't want students to worry, so they keep this from you, but blood commonly works it's way up your stethoscope into your ears. That's why you really have to heed the expiration date on them.

 

[physicsnerd42]

Were pediatricians ever worried that the blood can touch the earpiece of the stethoscope and get into their ears?

No.




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[PTPoeny]

We had special delivery room stethoscope and never used our own on babies prebath. But no, never worried about blood getting on the earpiece.

 

[oldbearprofessor]

In my day, getting meconium in your mouth was a bigger concern. Don't believe that we suctioned it directly? Read this abstract...

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/78/4/713

 

[GonnaBeADoc2222]

One of my classmates in MS3 got some type of body fluid (might have been maternal poop I think) on them during a delivery. The obgyn residents - abusive and passive aggressive as they were - wouldn't let them leave the room to clean themselves off, so they ended up vomiting in front of the mom and a bit got onto her.

 

[siliso]

You just use personal protective equipment as needed and universal precautions, and purple wipe that stethoscope between patients. Ear exposure unlikely and would be a very low risk contact on the very off chance that it happened. If your earpieces are touching the patient you are doing it backward

 

[Oso]

In my day, getting meconium in your mouth was a bigger concern. Don't believe that we suctioned it directly? Read this abstract...

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/78/4/713

how is this real?!?

One of my classmates in MS3 got some type of body fluid (might have been maternal poop I think) on them during a delivery. The obgyn residents - abusive and passive aggressive as they were - wouldn't let them leave the room to clean themselves off, so they ended up vomiting in front of the mom and a bit got onto her.

that sucks