The don't sleep with your pets prior to surgery injunction is not a thing in New England as far as I've heard. I doubt most of my patients would adhere to it anyway.
But what about if the pet licks the sheets before the pre-op patient lies on them, but then jumps out of the bed and doesn't sleep with the patient? Would that be OK?
I do recall reading an article in the NEJM clinicopathological series in a case of a dying person who wanted to see their companion animal, where the discussant said, "This is probably the first time a pet has been mentioned in the history of this series as anything other than a vector of disease."
I enjoyed your: >>If a bed-derived clump of Labrador undercoat can survive the detergent scrub, alcohol prep, and iodine paint of a modern OR, then it deserves its own biohazard classification.
Yeah, I was really surprised when I first heard this. I am not sure if it is regional, or just scattered advice.
Maybe they need to have a "muzzle all pets for a week before surgery so they can't lick anything that might touch you" clause!
But, that's exactly it - if there's a recommendation that most patient's won't adhere to, it may give them confidence not to adhere to other more evidence-based receommendations (though, there is no research to confirm that).
The don't sleep with your pets prior to surgery injunction is not a thing in New England as far as I've heard. I doubt most of my patients would adhere to it anyway.
But what about if the pet licks the sheets before the pre-op patient lies on them, but then jumps out of the bed and doesn't sleep with the patient? Would that be OK?
I do recall reading an article in the NEJM clinicopathological series in a case of a dying person who wanted to see their companion animal, where the discussant said, "This is probably the first time a pet has been mentioned in the history of this series as anything other than a vector of disease."
I enjoyed your: >>If a bed-derived clump of Labrador undercoat can survive the detergent scrub, alcohol prep, and iodine paint of a modern OR, then it deserves its own biohazard classification.
Yeah, I was really surprised when I first heard this. I am not sure if it is regional, or just scattered advice.
Maybe they need to have a "muzzle all pets for a week before surgery so they can't lick anything that might touch you" clause!
But, that's exactly it - if there's a recommendation that most patient's won't adhere to, it may give them confidence not to adhere to other more evidence-based receommendations (though, there is no research to confirm that).
Thanks for your comments and glad you enjoyed it!