1. Vascular Technology Lecture 35: Patient Care HHHoldorf

2. Patient Safety Infection Control
All personnel follow good hand-washing techniques before and after direct patient contact, after handling bodily fluid and secretions, and after using the bathroom.
Standard universal precautions maintained
All bodily fluids considered infectious
Personal Protection equipment available e. g., gloves, gowns, masks, and used by personnel when appropriate

3. Disinfect external ultrasound probes (Always check manufacturer’s guidelines as specific recommendations may vary)

4. First, remove visible residue with a soft cloth lightly dampened with mild soap: wipe with water-dampened cloth
Isopropyl alcohol solution may be used, but don’t let the alcohol air dry
Do not use: undiluted bleach, abrasive cleaners, solvents, e.g., thinner or benzene

5. High-level disinfection- commonly used products include:
Cidex
Hydrogen Peroxide > 6%
Low Level disinfection – commonly used products include:
T-spray II, SANI-Cloth
Hydrogen Peroxide (3&)
Sterile saline is not considered a disinfectant agent

6. Medical Emergencies
All personnel providing direct patient care are trained in basic Cardiac Life Support
Emergency response system(s) available
In-house emergency team
Community emergency number: 9 1 1

7. Patients provided with safe environment
Escorted to and from examination room
Assisted on and off the exam table as needed
If patient is on a stretcher, side rails up before and after study is completed
For hospitalized patients, make observations with regard to special equipment and care issues, e. g., oxygen tanks, IV medications

8. A test procedure is not carried out if the examiner determines the patient cannot safely tolerate or cooperate with the protocol

9. Equipment Preventative maintenance
Quality assurance checks on equipment, e. g., tissue equivalent phantom, Doppler phantom as applicable
All electric/electronic equipment and devices meet the institution’s safety code requirements, e. g., frayed cord or cracked housing precludes safe use of transducer.

10. Patient Care: Communication
Ideally, a translator should be provided by the facility if a language barrier exists between the patient and healthcare provider.
Educate the public and other health care professionals in the appropriate utilization of vascular studies
Interact with the medical director/supervising physician regarding protocols and procedures
Enhance services with computerization:
Patient scheduling
Report generation
Storage of data

11. Homework Textbook SDMS Assignments
Chapter 35: Patient Care and Environmental Issues
Pages 363 – 366
SDMS Assignments