Failure to Disinfect Blood Pressure Monitor Between Uses
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) failed to disinfect a wrist blood pressure monitor before and after use on a resident. The LVN was observed attempting to take the resident's blood pressure multiple times without success, then placing the monitor back into the medication cart drawer without cleaning it. The LVN acknowledged not disinfecting the device, and another LVN confirmed that this failure could spread germs and increase infection risk. The Infection Preventionist Nurse also stated that not cleaning the monitor before and after use increases the risk of spreading communicable diseases among residents. The resident involved had a history of dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and muscle weakness, and was dependent on staff for assistance with daily activities. The resident's care plan included interventions to prevent skin injury and infection, as the resident had an actual impairment to skin integrity related to a left hip wound infection. The facility's infection control policy required that supplies and equipment be cleaned immediately after use, but this procedure was not followed in this instance.