Symptoms And Treatment Of Infection Control - 1189 Words

Infection Control Since the manual handling task requires close contact with the patient, all handlers should follow strict infection control protocols in ICU. A recent study showed that by strictly following infection control protocols the incidence of hospital-acquired infections could be reduced (8). In addition, an observational study concluded that better hospital-wide infection control would reduce the number of MRSA-positive patients admitted to ICU and acquisition of MRSA within ICU (9). Therefore, it is important to minimize the spread of the infection by performing the following aseptic techniques. Hand washing is the most important methods of preventing the spread of infection (7). Radiographers should wash their hands before†¦show more content†¦However, there is no universal approach and best practices must be adapted to fit the epidemiology of specific ICUs and should also consider the available resources (10). Radiation safety Radiation safety of patients, radiographers and other individuals in ICU should be considered according to the â€Å"As Low As Reasonably Achievable† (ALARA) principle. General radiation safety principles include time, distance and shielding (7). Since the patient is male, no pregnancy check is needed. To protect the patient, the length of time that a patient remains in the path of the x-ray beam should be minimized. Therefore, it is important for radiographers to avoid unnecessary repeats and thus unnecessary exposure. Gonad shielding should be used on patients if possible, which is particularly important for young patients. In addition, proper collimations and adjusted exposure factors should be applied according to patient situations to minimize radiation dose (7). Radiographers should protect themselves as well. The time spent in radiation fields should be limited by taking shifts. Radiographers should stand as far away from source as possible to increase distance between radiation source and themselves. They should stand behind appropriate radiation shields or, more commonly, wear appropriate protection (7). According to a previous study, lead apron is the most common method of radiation protection as it may