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Staying well during flu season


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Who wears a mask during encounters with flu + patients?? Thinking about going that route this year..had a rather unpleasant bout w/ the flu last season.

My exam rooms are shoe box sized, so we're up close and personal the entire time.

 

Just curious how normal (or abnormal) this is! 

 

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I wear eyepro (with +3.0 readers), fastidiously wash my hands, and got my flu shot a couple of months ago.  No masks, though. I also have my MA run rapid flu on reasonable suspicion (cough+body aches+rapid onset, etc.) so I'm mostly not seeing flu patients until I already know they do or do not have flu, so if they're positive, we skip to why Tamiflu is not (or is) a good idea and it's a pretty short encounter.

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Wash hands.  Wash hands. And wash hands.  

 

When I worked a flu clinic in ER I worn a fluid shield face mask all shift.  

When flu gets going I wear a mask if I am seeing some.  Also I NEVER stand in front of them.  Always on side or behind them.  And ask them to turn their head away from me when exam.  Seems to work.  

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35 minutes ago, ventana said:

Wash hands.  Wash hands. And wash hands.  

 

When I worked a flu clinic in ER I worn a fluid shield face mask all shift.  

When flu gets going I wear a mask if I am seeing some.  Also I NEVER stand in front of them.  Always on side or behind them.  And ask them to turn their head away from me when exam.  Seems to work.  

Except for when the not so bright patients think that turning their head to the side and openly coughing takes place in the direction of your room exit so now you get to walk through the suspended spray field that not only exists for that visit but according to the literature, up to TWO hours.

No, I don’t wear a mask,  though our NP did all flu season last year.  I am annually vaccinated.

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3 minutes ago, SCPA said:

Like the tactical glasses?

Yep.  Uvex Genesis 2's with readers, specifically.  $12 on Amazon, so I could really care less if they get scratched or lost. Also, there's nothing more satisfying than having I&D contents hit your eyepro instead of your face...

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Last year when I worked a walk-in I wore a mask the entire flu season.  It probably didn't do anything except remind patients of their germs.  My biggest preventative health was to turn to a young adult (who probably didn't know better) and tell him "for crying out loud, cover your mouth!".  His daddy got upset, but that's what you get for bringing your 23 yo to the walk in for a cold. 

I would recommend a spray bottle with water, to train them like cats.  They cough, just spritz them. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I wear a mask off and on. I always wear a new pair of exam gloves in each visit and wash my hands or use alcohol gel after I remove my gloves.

As a matter of habit I place my hand on top a kids heads while ascultating because they just naturally want to turn towards me. That way I can keep them pointed in another direction.

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2 hours ago, Cideous said:

Millions of micro droplets in one sneeze traveling 75 feet.....just relax and stop worrying about it.  If you are going to get sick, you are going to get sick.  There's not much you can do working in a clinic other then basic stuff mentioned above.

You obviously didn't read the essential oils thread.  Drink that stuff like nobody's business, and you can walk through the valley of death!...pretty much any walk in or urgent care out there. 

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2 hours ago, thinkertdm said:

You obviously didn't read the essential oils thread.  Drink that stuff like nobody's business, and you can walk through the valley of death!...pretty much any walk in or urgent care out there. 

ROFL I stand humbly corrected and yes...this post wins the thread 😄 

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