What Do You Think?

Multiple new and ongoing questions from readers. Your responses are welcome! Answer or pose a question at cathlabdigest@aol.com

New Questions!

Re: Infection Control and Recycling I work for a Magnet hospital. We are a great team with several procedure rooms. Last year, we started a very aggressive recycle program. We have been recognized for the savings, but I worry about infection control. Does your lab recycle and if so, are the containers kept inside the rooms? I have expressed my concern, but nobody seems to care. Perhaps I am overreacting at seeing so much garbage inside the interventional rooms? Thank you! Go Green Email: gn8316@aol.com Cc: cathlabdigest@aol.com Re: Bedrest and Discharge We are a new cath lab with our own pre/post holding area and are trying to figure out when to send our patients back to the telemetry unit after PCIs or home after diagnostic caths. Does anyone know if there are guidelines for how long a patient must be kept before being discharged after an outpatient diagnostic cath? How about the staff/patient ratio for inpatients after an intervention? Will this vary if a closure device is used? Also, is there any evidence-based information on bedrest times? Thank you! Mary Sue DeFeo, RN Email: Mary.Defeo@parrishmed.com Cc: cathlabdigest@aol.com Re: Radiation Limitations My lab is currently setting up a tracking system to track patient exposure during procedures. We are having trouble finding set guidelines. If you have any information or resources, please email me. Thank you! Brian Perkins RT(R) Pikeville Medical Center Pikeville, Kentucky Email: rakimage@bellsouth.net Cc: cathlabdigest@aol.com Editor’s note: Brian, thanks for your email! We hope readers will respond, but in the meantime, you may want to check out the following article: Radiation Tracking in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab Donna DuRee, RN, BN, CCVNII and Derrick Johnson RN, BS, RCIS, CMRT, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, Houston, Texas Available online at: https://cathlabdigest.com/articles/ Radiation-Tracking-Cardiac-Catheterization-Lab

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