infection control and suction canisters

[bryan]

Even in my small financially challenged hospital we threw those suckers out - tubes and all. Even that was done very, very carfully.

If your supervisor wants them cleaned and re-used - tell her/him to go for it.

It HAS to be dangerous to you and anyone in the room. Common sense. Call OSHA then take their word with a grain of salt.

Money - makes the world go around.

[BlueBear.]

Ours are disposable. For NGT suction we mark the canister at the end of each shift so we can accurately count I & O's (at least, this is how it was done wehn I was a floor nurse). Once it was full, it would be changed.

[peady2]

During a cost cutting marathon, we were told to empty and reuse disposable canisters, using the hopper in the dirty utility room. Yeah right. I rarely even went INTO that germ laden room and thankfully having been past metal bedpans have rarely even used a hopper. If the plastic pans were too soiled that a rinse over the toilet wasn't enough I threw them away. Same with the suction canisters. I always sealed them and tossed them. If the higher ups want them cleaned they can clean them themselves. I wasn't going to risk a splashing contamination and I had no time to gown up whenever a canister was filled. Into the red bag it went.

[leigh]

Don't do it. Your supervisor is wrong, and you can take it up with her boss if you need to.

[leigh]

This has always been a peeve of mine. Why do the hospitals make nurses responsible for bodily fluid disposal ? Do the housekeepers have a union ? I have always heard that they " refuse " to clean blood spills or cannisters. IMO, they are there exactly to do that... clean. How is it other employees get to pick and choose what they want to do ?

[Grandma]

That is so disgusting,wrap it in red bag and trash the sucker

[PaulaJo]

I was once told to do this. I stood up in the meeting and said that "I would NOT do this, that the canisters were disposible for good reason". Some nurses did, most followed my lead and disposed of them as we always had. I would have called OSHA and reported the hospital, if adm. had ever said anything to me about it.

[schoolnurselaura]

nurses,i am just wondering about the protocols for cleaning and changing suction canisters and tubing in your facility. i am working in an intermediate care facility. my supervisor wants us to clean out the canister after each shift. i think i am exposing myself to microorganisms unnessarily. what is the protocol in your facility. thanks in advance, laura

[LAH2]

We always pitched them when we were finished with them. I can't imagine cleaning them out. Gee---maybe next, we'd have to clean out & autoclave syringes & needles like in the old days. This is a no brainer & I would not do it either. Les

[chrisabraham]

I hate to be a broken record but since my job is to promote HAI Watchdog Community, a new infection-prevention community, I love these threads. It is sort of a dream for message boards/online community geeks like me to see all of this passion. My business partner recently lost his dad to VAP and it blows my mind how many of these things can surely be prevented.