It may be in short supply, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need it. Any therapist performing respiratory techniques (the ones COVID patients probably need!) is at risk and should have the right PPE. Here is what you need, what you can get by with, and how to choose.
The Mask
We are all hearing the hysteria around the mask right now. Surgical vs. respirator vs home made. How and when do you choose what?
The CDC has created a table with some guidelines on how to make these choices. It’s important to remember where Physical Therapists fit on this table. If you are performing respiratory physical therapy interventions, you are performing aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs).
Gloves
Thankfully we aren’t hearing too much about a shortage of these yet! You should just be wearing them. Odds are you know this already. Both hands, please. And make sure your friends wear them, too. You can reuse if necessary by using gel hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol to clean them between patients. If gloves are visibly soilerd they must be changed.
Gowns
So stylish. So crinkly. One use, one patient. Do you remember the order in which you are supposed to don all this stuff? Yea, I didn’t either. Here’s a link to help you out.
Eye Protection
We are still under droplet precautions. However, most sources disagree with this and feel we should be under airborne precautions. Either way, you’ll need some eye protection. Goggles or a shield are acceptable. There are also eyewear choices available on Amazon that seal around the eyes and may be approved by your individual facilities.
all images open source from upslash.com
Check out these other links:
A homemade mask that may actually work?
Maybe! Check it out!
Forbes is putting the word out. Like the doctor said: “Any mask is better than no mask.”
Calling All People Who Sew And Make: You Can Help Make Masks For 2020 Healthcare Worker PPE Shortage
Chronic Disease Part 3: Urinary Incontinence – Part 1
All that work on intra-abdominal pressure really kept taking me down the road of incontinence management, but that post was already long enough, so this one is going to get it’s own feature. I work with patients on managing urinary incontinence in every setting, so let me take you through some basics of how toContinue reading “Chronic Disease Part 3: Urinary Incontinence – Part 1”
Pressure… Pushing Down On Me…
Breathing. I can’t stress it enough. If you’re not breathing, you’re dead… or in a lot of pain… either way, it’s not good. So breathe! In my practice, I work with a lot of different types of patients with a wide variety of conditions and comorbidities, but they all have one thing in common: theyContinue reading “Pressure… Pushing Down On Me…”
Emergency Response Screening
I hope, at this point, you’ve all heard of the FAST acronym for identifying signs of a cerebrovascular accident (aka stroke). My in-laws even have a magnet on their fridge with a great comic strip describing the FAST acronym. I have run in to a couple different versions of it in the last few years,Continue reading “Emergency Response Screening”
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