By Celewyn - 04/10/2016 11:11 - Australia

Today, my patient knocked my glasses off as I assisted him in the shower. We both looked in terror as they fell into his unflushed toilet. This patient was isolated due to a contagious infection. FML
I agree, your life sucks 12 083
You deserved it 1 030

Same thing different taste

Comments

That sick and messed up way to lose your glasses

Contacts are actually not allowed in many environments because if something gets into your eye, you need to usually flush them for 15 min straight in cold water. (This is general, but if it's a serious infectious thing, then maybe they go emergency for treatment). So contacts make it difficult to clean your eyes, and wasting time taking them out is dangerous. Also, a reaction could take place between the lens and your eye and prove to be potent. But I am wondering why this person was only wearing regular glasses while giving a contagious patient a bath. After volunteering in a hospital for a few years, I have learned that you aren't even allowed near a person who is contagious (there are even different levels of contagiousness). But my point is, anyone who wants to go close needs to put on proper equipment for their own protection. Maybe the person's level of contagiousness is not high enough for PPE? Not sure.

You don't need eye shields for contact precautions. You need them for droplet precautions, or where there might be a splash. As for the glasses, it depends on how squeamish you are. If it's anything other then cdiff you can just drop them in alcohol. For cdiff, personally I'd throw them out.

ber4fun 23

I recommend the string that goes around your neck that you can attach to the ends of your glasses.

stevenbro 6

In most hospital settings the doctors want to see everything that comes out of the patient, so it would make sense that they don't flush.

usnwife 18

But if OP is helping them shower, and they are contagious, it seems really bad for that to be left in such close proximity to OP...

theblondeone 16

OP is likely referring to enteric isolation, in which case OP is required to wear a gown and gloves as well as scrub their hands and arms after removing the protective wear.

#8: Even if the toilet was flushed, it is not necessarily being disinfected. Residue of the poop would still be around so the glasses would be contaminated regardless. So glasses falling in with poop present or absent would cause the same result.

stevenbro 6

Hadn't thought of that...so maybe close lid? Captain Obvious, I know.

Many hospitals I have been in don't have lids over patient toilets?

it's healthcare - we get exposed to dangerous things a lot of the time because if we didn't we couldn't help our patients who are our number one priority.

#23, there is absolutely no reason for you to be rude. You obviously haven't worked in a healthcare environment and have zero knowledge and and are already making ignorant comments. Even then, people are trying to enlighten you. So no need to be a dick. Thanks, good day to you.

I don't think 23 was being rude at all. They genuinely did not think of what 22 brought up and suggested an idea they thought might be helpful, even if it may have been obvious (calling themselves caption obvious).

Baron_Kaz 15

If he did that on purpose then it's bad. Either way I am sure your workplace has got you covered, you might even get a better brand of glasses out of this incident.