Health, safety and regulations. The job of a veterinarian assistant isn't always an easy one. And it comes with certain occupational risks that we have to address in order to stay safe. We're all aware of the dangers of working in close contact with animals, but there are other risks as well. These can include contact with hazardous substances and equipment, including everything from rubbing alcohol to oxygen tanks to products used in hook repair. There's also the potential for being exposed to dangerous chemicals, such as phosphine gas while treating patients.
These lessons will provide information to help you protect yourself and others. Personal Protective Equipment, personal protective equipment or PPP is the term given to items worn to help safeguard the wear from physical and health hazards. Pe provides the last barrier between the person wearing it and the hazard necessitating it, but it is not a substitute for other safety measures, such as proper workplace engineering and safety practices. In addition to being used when working with patients, personal protective equipment is needed when working with certain medications, laboratory specimens and other substances required PPV depends on hazards and risks. key factors to consider in assessing physical and health hazards in veterinary medical settings include temperament and health conditions of the patient, known or suspected pathogens and their routes of transmission, safety and hazard. Have the facility or seen performance of the PP materials, and hazards of pharmaceutical or other products being handled, disposed or stored.
An accurate assessment will guide you with what protective equipment will be used. For instance, drawing blood from a dog suspected or known to have leptospirosis poses greater biological health hazards to the individuals involved than drawing blood from a clinically healthy dog for a heartworm test. While the basic task is the same in both cases, the disease transmission risk associated with leptospirosis, warrants elevated caution and personal protective equipment. For example, double glove face shields or combination of masks and eye protection, a disposable gown and isolation ward depending on the situation you are in the typical personal protective equipment used within any level might need to be supplemented with additional equipment to best protect the wearer against hazards. For example, donning leaded eyewear, apron, gloves and thyroid guard is a key enhancement to your regular hospital attire. When taking radiographs.
Personal Protective Equipment is typically worn in the veterinary profession while performing routine tasks, such as handling animals or specimens, taking radiographs, dispensing medication, and performing dentals. Here are a few examples of personal protective equipment used within the veterinary profession. Head, eyes, ears, nose, mouth and neck. Safety glasses, radiology I wear a face mask, face shield, earplugs lead lined radiology thyroid guard hardhat excetera hands, exam gloves long coat leather gloves known as gauntlet gloves or bite gloves, obstetric gloves, surgery gloves, lead line, radiology gloves, etc. for your torso, arms and legs, a lab coat, coveralls, scrubs, disposable gown, waterproof apron, lead lines, radiology, apron, etc. for your feet, solid toed primary footwear with good traction or steel toed boots, rubber over boots, disposable boots and booties disposal of clinical waste.
While not a glamorous topic, waste disposal is a fact of life. we toss leftover food, worn out clothes, old newspapers and countless other items in the trash or recycling bin. But some waste like the medical variety requires more careful disposal. Medical byproducts solid or liquid implements can be harmful to people and the environment. Common examples of medical waste are needles and syringes, use bandages and gloves, human or animal tissue, blood, feces and medications sharps disposal in a hospital setting. sharps include anything that are well sharp.
Needles, land sets and scalpels contaminated with human or animal blood or tissue must be safely discarded. sharps should be disposed of in regulation containers. These containers need to be rigid containers that are leak proof, tamper proof, spill proof and puncture resistant. Medication disposal expired or unused medications should be disposed of safely. While these medicines may not be as harmful to the environment, as other medical waste, they can still be harmful. Humans are pets.
If the medication is a pill or capsule, place it in a Ziploc bag, crush the pill or open and empty the capsule and add water to dissolve it. You can either flush the liquid down the toilet or pour down the sink, followed by thermal rinsing. Liquid medications can be disposed of in the same manner. Read the medication label to verify that it is safe for household plumbing and sewer systems. Another method to dispose of solid medications is to crush them in a Ziploc bag. Add an undesirable substance like coffee grounds or kitty litter and place a mixture in the regular garbage.
This makes the medication less likely to be misused. before throwing away any prescription bottles. Remove the labels and destroy all identifying information. Remember that plastic medicine containers can be recycled bodily waste disposal. It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it. That means scooping poop.
Why is it important to perform this unpleasant task? Besides being unsightly, and smelly, animal feces can contaminate the environment with bacteria, viruses and parasites. To protect people and other animals. feces must be disposed of properly. The most common method of bodily waste disposal utilizes a plastic bag. After tying the bag, throw it in the regular trash.
As for cats, disposing of litter in the garbage can is the best option. kitty litter is biodegradable, but doesn't compost well and blocks up sewer systems. disposal of medical wastes is not glamorous or fun. It's just one of the many responsibilities of caring for animals, and it's worth the effort to keep people pets and their environment safe.