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Can Catheters Become Infected By Improper Use Of Disinfectant Gloves?

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Posted on Mon, 26 Oct 2015
Question: Hello!!

I was at hospital visiting my grandmother and I saw that nurse was making mistakes during here work – she was putting catheter with physiological liquid to patient without gloves, and after that
she was doing the same without hand disinfection and without gloves. After that I went to general nurse and explained that situation – and that is really wrong and that is a big risk of hospital infection to week patients.

I wanted to ask you does physiological liquid and its catheter and their parts –
Are they in packed in some package before its use, so we can avoid its contact with dirty non disinfected hands of nurse and we can avoid hospital infection with catheter moving in.

And in one of material I was said that –
Most patients undergo intravascular catheter placement at some time during their hospitalization, including ~ 145 million peripheral venous catheters and ~ 3–5 million central venous catheters per annum in the U.S., and ~ 18–25% of these catheters become colonized at some time during the course of their use.

http://www.XXXX.XXX.XXX.XXX/XXXX/XXXXXX/


So it means it could be transmitted also in other way – no only by incorrect use of them, but what are other way how catheter can become infected ?
From skin – bacteria colonized skin ? Or other way??

Than you
doctor
Answered by Dr. Divakara (4 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Nurse should wear gloves.

Detailed Answer:
HI

Greetings from Dr.Divakara.P
Thanks for posting your query.

Regarding your first query, well definitely the nurse should have worn gloves . It is for her protection and also for prevention of cross infection between the patients.

Some Catheters comes as a kit where Vatheter and the liquid are packed together but sometimes catheter is packed separate and the fluid is packed separate. But in any instance the packaging doesn't allow contamination .

Apart from non hygienic way of catheter placement as the cause of infection the other causes are :

1. Putting catheter at an infected site.
2. Not cleaning the site of insertion .
3. Colonisation of microbes from skin to catheter site.
4. Letting the catheter or canula for more than the stipulated number of days.
5. Unhygenic handing while administering drugs or drawing blood or urine.

Hope this information was useful to you.
Any clarifications feel free to ask.

Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Divakara (19 hours later)
Thank you for your answer !!

I have qestion about 4th anwer

4. Letting the catheter or canula for more than the stipulated number of days.

How long can one cathetre be usable - stay in your body ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Divakara (16 hours later)
Brief Answer:
3 weeks for Foley's catheter.

Detailed Answer:
Hi

A Foley's catheter can be used for 3 weeks but every attempt should be made to remove it as early as possible because the longer the catheter stays the higher the probability of infection.

A peripheral line canula has to be changed after 4-5 days and a central line canula has to be changed after 14 days.

Hope this information was useful to you.
Any clarification feel free to ask.

Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Divakara (33 hours later)
one other qestion - how the wound or surgery site should be covered, that it would avoid infection !

it should be covered with gaze ?

the material should be Waterproof ?

can bacteria get through gaze - wound that is covered with water permeable material ?

Or the wound is proper covored with gaze it is ok to avoid infection ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Divakara (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Wound needs to be cleaned and covered with Gauze.

Detailed Answer:
HI

Wound has to be cleaned with disinfectant like Betadine and if there is infection in the wound , Antibiotic cream has to be applied.

After wound cleaning , it should be covered with gauze, the material need not be waterproof , but contact of the dressing with water has to be avoided.

Bacteria can enter through the gauze , that is the reason first wound is cleaned with disinfectant. This disinfectant will prevent the bacteria colonising the wound.

Hope this information was useful to you.
ANy clarifications feel free to ask.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Divakara (5 hours later)
Does really bacteria can get through gaze - if the wound is covered with lot layers of gaze ? for example HA MRSA !?

– then the best way to avoid infection is to put waterproof bandage?


For example if the wound is cleaned and covered wit lot of layers of gaze – and if the nurse touch it with non disinfected hands and if the bacteria – HA MRSA touch my gaze it can get through all layers of gaze and infect my wound – or not ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Divakara (4 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Number of gauze doesn't makes any difference.

Detailed Answer:
Hi

Yes if the gauze is handled unhygienic way then the gauze gets colonised with bacteria. These bacteria multiply and spread till it reaches the wound. But disinfectant used will avoid contact of bacteria with the wound.

Even waterproof bandages , if handled unhygienic way can get colonised with bacteria.

Hope this information was useful.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Neel Kudchadkar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Divakara (10 hours later)
Hello !!

One doctor thinks in other way

Here is his answer – doctor Dr. XXXXXXX Koregol, Infertility Specialist


Brief Answer:
No

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

No. If there are layers of gauze. Infection wont travel down all the way.

Let me know if you need more details.


Could you please contact him – and make a one statement how the things are

Dr. XXXXXXX Koregol profile - http://www.healthcaremagic.com/doctors/dr-mahesh-koregol/62673
doctor
Answered by Dr. Divakara (31 hours later)
Brief Answer:
I don't think so.

Detailed Answer:
Hi

See if there are multiple layers of Gauze then the entry of bacteria from top of the gauze till the wound , but irrespective of number of gauze bacteria can still enter from side and while changing the dressing and from sides of the wound.

If putting multiple gauze would have prevented wound infection 100% then all the wound would have been packed heavily with gauze instead one 1/2.

Well I shall try to get in contact with Dr XXXXXXX and see his views on this topic.

Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Divakara (1 hour later)
Thank you for your help !!


You are very god doctor !!

His last answer was like that !!

------
What i typed you was possibility of infection after applying bandage in a hygienic way.

If the gauze dressing is applied in a hygienic way and dressing is done, there is less possibility of infection from this gauze where dressing has been done.

Dr. XXXXXXX is right that if the dressing ( gauze or waterproof) is not handled hyginically while placing on the wound, there is possibility of infection. Thats true.

What I said is possibility of infection are less after layers of gauze dressing is done and later possibility of infection entering in it from outside is less.


----

So if the wound is proper cleaned and if the gaze is sterile and if there are layers of gaze bacteria still can travel through gaze and infect wound !

So every doctor and nurse before touch my gaze should disinfect hands ?

That how I will avoid infection ??
doctor
Answered by Dr. Divakara (11 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Possibility of infection doesn't reduce by increasing the number of gauze.

Detailed Answer:
HI


See , the bacteria doesn't travel through the gauze. They multiply and hence require extra space for occupancy and hence the new bacteria may be seen over the underlying gauze.

Now you may ask , by keeping more gauze we can slow down the occupancy of lower gauze by new bacteria, but bacteria multiplies very fast and can reach huge numbers in a matter of 24 hours.

Hence it is the hygienic practice rather than number of gauze that matters. Yes definitely doctors and nurse should disinfect their hands and wear sterilised gloves .

Hope this information was useful to you.
Any clarifications feel free to ask.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Divakara (12 hours later)
Than you !!!

so i understan if some doctor toch my skin the bacteri can divide - multiply, and by horizntal surface of my skin travel under gaze and i get infectio !!

And what do you mean by - See , the bacteria doesn't travel through the gauze

so if someone touch my gaze after its is on my skin, bateri wont travel through it ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Divakara (6 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Bacteria just multiplies.

Detailed Answer:
Hi

It doesn't travel , the bacteria keeps multiplying which in turn leads to acquisition of the new area . But for practical purpose it can be assumed that bacteria is travelling.

Regards.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Divakara

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :2006

Answered : 2358 Questions

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Can Catheters Become Infected By Improper Use Of Disinfectant Gloves?

Brief Answer: Nurse should wear gloves. Detailed Answer: HI Greetings from Dr.Divakara.P Thanks for posting your query. Regarding your first query, well definitely the nurse should have worn gloves . It is for her protection and also for prevention of cross infection between the patients. Some Catheters comes as a kit where Vatheter and the liquid are packed together but sometimes catheter is packed separate and the fluid is packed separate. But in any instance the packaging doesn't allow contamination . Apart from non hygienic way of catheter placement as the cause of infection the other causes are : 1. Putting catheter at an infected site. 2. Not cleaning the site of insertion . 3. Colonisation of microbes from skin to catheter site. 4. Letting the catheter or canula for more than the stipulated number of days. 5. Unhygenic handing while administering drugs or drawing blood or urine. Hope this information was useful to you. Any clarifications feel free to ask. Regards.