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Teaching tip: Highlighting precaution of cross-infection

Question: What precautions do you take to protect yourself from contracting infections/diseases during patient care?

The standard infection control videos are not very effective. The education officer has to demonstrate the bad habits and give some hard facts. When I’m lecturing to EMS workers, I wear my dark uniform and chalk dust some gloves. I got that idea from seeing crews that used powdered gloves coming in with powder marks in various places on their uniform especially at the pants and shirt pockets.

I became a believer very young in my career while working in a hospital that was participating in an MRSA study over 25 years ago. Everybody had their hands, nares and stethoscopes swabbed. Ink pens are also demonstrated to be a great carrier.

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