Ive been having an ongoing argument with a dear relative about the extent of danger that the ebola outbreak represents for the average American. Ive feared ebola for over a quarter of a century, this is the worlds worst outbreak of the disease, but not the first. It was inevitable that there would be an epidemic and that we would see infections in the U.S. Even so, ebola is still far down on the list of fears that keep me awake at night. Several times a month I teach CPR/FirstAid classes for direct care workers, people whose jobs require them to clean up bodily fluids of individuals who can not care for themselves. One of the four skills that I am required to observe each student demonstrate correctly is how to take off protective gloves without contaminating oneself. New hires who have never had occasion to need this skill will pay meticulous attention and perform the test with great care. Long time workers who have been putting on and taking off gloves many times a day, day after day, year after year, demonstrate the skill quickly and sometimes I have to ask them to repeat slowly so I can see the fine points of their technique. I do not pass them if they do not convince me that they employ the correct technique. It is the ignorance grown from a habit thought well possessed that places a direct care worker in jeopardy. Ebola is not the only deadly pathogen that we need to keep from spreading. If you do not know the essentials of Universal Precautions, learn them and use them, always, every time, no exceptions. More than just your life could depend on it. - Jimmy Tucker en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_precautions
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 14:42:59 +0000
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