Victor Krenz is assisting Dr. Connors with the fifth cataract surgery for the da
ID: 3484564 • Letter: V
Question
Victor Krenz is assisting Dr. Connors with the fifth cataract surgery for the day. The patient is Kathy Wall, a diabetic patient, whose condition has been stable enough for her to undergo a surgical procedure. Victor has performed a six-minute surgical scrub on his hands before each of the five procedures. Dr. Connors indicates that he is in a hurry to get back to his office for a heavy afternoon schedule of patients. After both Dr. Connors and Victor are scrubbed, gowned, and ready to begin the operation, Victor feels a slight prick on the tip of his gloved finger as he moves the sterile syringe and needle on the tray. Dr. Connors, who does not notice the accidental needlestick to Victor’s glove, states again that he is in a hurry to finish this procedure. Victor knows that it will delay the surgery if he has to change gloves. He also knows that his hands have had a surgical scrub five times that morning and that they are clean.
Provide detailed answers for each of the following questions. Your response should be one-half (1/2) page in length.
Can Victor justify not changing into new gloves?
What could happen to Ms. Wall as a result of Victor’s needlestick?
How should Victor handle this situation?
Explanation / Answer
Victor’s needle stick could hurt the patient, Ms Wall as well since it was on his glove. Moreover, his efficiency to perform the surgery could also be affected due to his injury. Any minor/major injury to the hand is likely to reduce one’s ability to operate smoothly. Victor has his hands cleaned and the doctor does not notice his injury due to the gloves, so he could get away with not informing, but that seems an unethical choice to make. This is because it will affect his ability to perform; moreover the glove is likely to injure the patient too. An alternative choice could be getting rid of the needle, quickly catering to his own injury & then continuing the surgery with Dr Connors. Once his hand is stabilized, and he feels less pain, he’d be able to perform more efficiently. Otherwise what is likely to happen is that his mind could be stuck at his own injury, worrying about the hurt, while his performance during the surgery may suffer. To avoid the same, this could be a suitable choice to make.
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