Dogs Are Family Too

Hello!

Here we have a picture of Frax and I visiting my Mom in the rehab facility where she has been healing from a compression injury to her back. The best therapy has been when she is able to visit with the family dogs. Frax in particular. He doesn't just smile for anyone!:) (very heavy jowls 'ya know!)

In the news recently infection control experts are giving out guidelines for therapy, service and family dog visitation in facilities in the U.S. It's been my experience it still comes down to the particular facility what their policy is, and the particular shift of people working as to policies that are followed...

The article was published online in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of SHEA. It gives suggestions as to infection control with the different groups of visiting dogs. Things have loosened up at least in our area. Most hospitals, extended care, and rehab facilities have come to the conclusion that for their patients that are dog lovers, a visit especially from a beloved family member can make all the difference in recovery rates.

I have to say however, that the patients have more potential for exposure to pathogens from care-givers than visiting canines. Truth. When I was still able to work as a nurse, they did a study where they cultured nurses wedding rings. It was horrifying. The same thing has happened when they cultured healthcare workers hands (after they have washed them!) EW! It's also a fact that the human mouth carries more bacteria than nearly any other mammal.

Folks that have service and therapy dogs make sure their dogs are scrupulously clean, and everyone knows to wash your hands before eating and so on unless they have been living under a rock. If the patient requires help washing their hands after the visit, the staff or visitor knows to help with it. No big deal. Thought this was an interesting study however.

Later...

LV, FX & JT

Journal References

1.

Rekha Murthy, Gonzalo Bearman, Sherrill Brown, Kristina Bryant, Raymond Chinn, Angela Hewlett, B. Glen George, Ellie J.C. Goldstein, Galit Holtzmann-Pazgal, Mark E. Rupp, Timothy Wiemken, J. Scott Weese, David J. Weber Animals in Healthcare Facilities: Recommendations to Minimize Potential Risks. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 2015; 1 DOI: 10/1017/ice.2015.15

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Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. "Infection control experts outline guidance for animal visitations in hospitals." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 2 March 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150302105207.htm>.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150302105207.htm

*This is just one recent study of contamination of healthcare workers hands, there are gazillions more and also on culturing jewelry worn by them...nothing seems to have changed since I was working. It remains an issue.

Contamination of Healthcare Workers’ Hands with Clostridium difficile Spores after Caring for Patients with C. difficile Infection

C. Landelle, PharmD, PhD,1,2 M. Verachten, BSc,1 P. Legrand, MD,3 E. Girou, PharmD, PhD,1 F. Barbut, PharmD, PhD,4 and C. Brun Buisson, MD1,5

1. Infection Control Unit, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Albert Chenevier–Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris–Est Créteil, France

2. Infection Control Program, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland

3. Department of Bacteriology-Virology, CHU Albert Chenevier–Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris–Est Créteil, France

4. National Reference Laboratory for Clostridium difficile, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France

5. Medical Intensive Care Unit, CHU Albert Chenevier–Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris–Est Créteil, France

#healthcare #serviceanimalsvisiting #therapyanimalsvisiting #infectioncontrolinhealthcarefacilities