Nail dust inhalation

[Creflo]

While on a podiatry rotation, an attending requested that I cut nails with a burr if using a clipper is too painful for the patient. A mask was available. Any thoughts on the appropriateness of using burrs for nail debridement/thinning and effects on the podiatrist's lungs?

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[AttackNME]

my derm professor mentioned that although it is possible to inhale the particles and get infect by the fungus in the nail, the chance is so slim that she doesn't bother wearing a mask herself. or you could look it up on pubmed and see if anyone's reported such incidences

 

[Podfather]

While on a podiatry rotation, an attending requested that I cut nails with a burr if using a clipper is too painful for the patient. A mask was available. Any thoughts on the appropriateness of using burrs for nail debridement/thinning and effects on the podiatrist's lungs?

If you are using a burr a mask should be worn. OSHA would have a field day with that one.

 

[PADPM]

If you are using a burr a mask should be worn. OSHA would have a field day with that one.

I agree. In our offices, when palliative care is performed our medical assistants finish up and burr down the nails and keratotic lesions as needed. They wear masks, safety glasses/goggles and we have a vacuum system in each treatment room. I can't imagine constantly inhaling particulate dust of any kind is healthy.

 

[Zyxwvuts]

Heard of an attending get a fungal respiratory infection. He no longer uses a Dremal.

 

[zloetakoe]

Heard of an attending get a fungal respiratory infection. He no longer uses a Dremal.

ugh. That's too bad.

 

[Feli]

I think the vacuum systems are the way to go. A mask + goggles is even safer, but it seems pretty impersonal to me.

Then again, I'm the guy who wears just a thyroid shield (no torso lead) with the mini flouro (full garb for the big daddy C, though). I always wear face shield masks, which also cuts down on the amount your eyes are taking (read: cataracts). The articles say that, with the mini, it's basically only your hands getting hit with any appreciable amount of rad anyways. I try to save myself the neck/back pain and sweat of wearing full lead for the mini-C. Who knows, maybe I will have 3-legged kids?

Bottom line is that the correct answer is always to wear as much protection as possible... face shield for blood/rad, lead for flouro, mask/goggles/vacuum for Dremel, etc. In the end, you have to find a happy medium of safety, cost, and practicality, though. There's no easy answers here.

...reminds me of one attending I met's joke:

"What's the best way not to inhale nail dust?"

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"Don't do nail care."