care better — both for our instruments and our patients. Every instru-
ment that comes through our hands will one day touch and hopefully
heal a patient. In the name of higher quality, we should all keep The
World of Surgical Instruments within arm's reach.
OSM
Mr. Balch (hank@beyondclean.net), the principal consultant of Beyond
Clean Consulting, is the founder and co-host of the "Beyond Clean" industry
podcast (beyondclean.net). Follow him on Twitter at @BeyondCleanInfo.
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 3 3
W
ant to be sure the entire perioperative team knows that
a patient has a latex allergy or a positive latex sensitivity
screen? Place a "Latex Alert" label on the patient's
chart, like the 3x5-inch one shown here that Cedars-Sinai Medical
Center in Los Angles, Calif., developed as part of a
pilot program. The label notifies
staff to use latex-free products
and reminds them to relay the
patient's latex allergy or sensi-
tivity during hand-offs. Keep in
mind that some patients are
unaware that they're allergic
to latex, so pay close attention
to their responses to your
latex allergy/sensitivity
questionnaire.
Does Your Patient Have a Latex Allergy?
• LATEX ALERT Placing a 3x5-inch label on the patient's
chart lets staff know about a patient's latex allergy.
Cedars-Sinai
Medical
Center