Anesthesiologist Karen Sullivan Sibert, MD thinks we've run amok with wearing gloves in the hospital. In a recent blog, posted on the Deb Group web site, she says that putting on gloves before every patient contact is not only unnecessary but actually harmful because it discourages normal human contact.
In the blog, Silbert says (tongue in cheek): "If you’re worried that the hand hygiene police will detect a deviation from protocol and report you to your hospital’s Infectious Disease authorities, there’s an easy way to avoid the problem. Steer clear of the patient. Actually, according to the Silbert, the old adage of “When all else fails, examine the patient” is good advice.
"All the tests, scans, monitoring equipment, and every other marvelous technology at our disposal can’t replace a skilled and experienced physician taking a history and examining the patient. If you can’t figure out what’s going wrong, go back and examine the patient again."
Read the blog and comments.
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