Failure to Dispose of Soiled Items and Use Required PPE During Enhanced Barrier Precautions
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure proper infection prevention and control practices in two separate incidents. In the first incident, a soiled incontinence bed pad was not discarded appropriately after use; instead, it was placed on a resident's personal belongings and left visible to visitors. According to the facility's policy, such items should be securely wrapped in a plastic bag and discarded as regular trash, and the Infection Preventionist confirmed that leaving dirty items on personal belongings is an infection control concern. In the second incident, a staff member did not use the required personal protective equipment (PPE) while providing direct care to a resident under enhanced barrier precautions (EBP) for a skin rash. The staff member was observed showering the resident while wearing only gloves and a surgical mask, omitting the required gown as indicated by the EBP signage. The resident had a history of a rash with possible diagnoses including dermatitis and shingles, and was under EBP at the time of the observation. The Infection Preventionist and RN confirmed that full PPE, including a gown, should have been used during such care.