I had written a paper on the contamiantion of blood pressure cuffs for an advanced degree. Every single research report I found said the same thing; that bp cuffs were grossly contaminated and often bloody. The dark color of the cuff is not an accident. The cuffs are dark to hide blood contamination. Manufacturers of cuffs were led down this path by the end user that did not want blood to show up. One report told how 99% of the cuffs they sampled at 3 different hospitals were grossly contaminated with microbes of every kind. Another research told of about half the cuffs they sampled being blood contaminated. Another told how 37% of the cuffs in surgery ready for use tested positive for blood contamination. ALL the research says how gross the cuffs are, yet it is always overlooked in the scheme of cross-contamination. Recently the CDC did say that blood pressure cuffs used by "contagious" patients should be dedicated to that patient only. My question to the CDC would be - How do you know who is contagious, until it is after the fact? Why are blood pressure cuffs exempt from Universal Precautions ?

There is a solution we use. It is a disposable cover for the blood pressure cuff. Another solution are disposable vinyl cuffs. Another solution is washing the cuffs with a 1/100 part bleach solution.

Stethoscopes are my next area of research.


[This message has been edited by Carol Isaac MacKusick (edited 10-12-2001).]

Hi Cindy, I think your points are well taken. In our dialysis unit the patients have their own BP machines, as well as torniquets etc.

The bp cuffs are filthy, disgusting! They fall on the floor all the time into blood and machine leaks. The thermometer that was passed around was also contaminated. They now use individual one use ones. How about other sources of contamination: neglect of asceptic technique by workers, the phone, stethescope, blood on the scale, patients not made to wear gloves when they hold sites, incorrect or no hand washing, no centralized location for meds and supplies, supplies dropped on the floor and resused or left on sidetables and in workers pockets.

Blood pressure cuffs should be cleaned in between each and every patient and after each possible contamination. Current CDC guidelines do state that permanent equipment should be cleaned in that fashion.

Suggestions on how to improve that issue are very welcome. Advertising one's own products are not.

Although I intrinsically agree with what you are saying, Cindy, I feel it is inappropriate to use this forum to advertise your, or your companies, products. Since your email address is for the company that you have provided a telephone number for, one would be led to believe that you are either employed by them, or a paid spokesperson.

For that reason, I have removed all vendor names from your post. If you would like to discuss this issue, please feel free to contact me or the webmaster directly.

Carol

Patient:

You raise some very valid concerns about infection control. I would encourage you to take a look at the infection control resources page on RenalWEB and share this information with your clinical staff.

Infection control can be a part of the dialysis setting with little pain. The price of not using proper infection control guidelines could be disaster!

Good luck. Let me know what you think of the resource page.

Carol