Many hospitals have implemented policies to restrict or ban the use of devices made of natural rubber latex (NRL) in healthcare as precautionary measures against the perceived risk of NRL allergy. Changes in glove technology, progress in measuring the specific allergenic potential of gloves and a dramatic decrease in the prevalence of NRL allergies after interventions and education prompted us to revisit the basis for justifiable glove selection policies. The published Anglophone literature from 1990 to 2010 was reviewed for original articles and reviews dealing with the barrier and performance properties of NRL and synthetic gloves and the role of glove powder. The review shows that NRL medical gloves, when compared with synthetic gloves, tend to be stronger, more flexible and better accepted by clinicians. The introduction of powder-free gloves has been associated with reductions in protein content and associated allergies. Recently, new methods to quantify clinically relevant NRL allergens have enabled the identification of gloves with low allergenic potential. The use of low-protein, low-allergenic, powder-free gloves is associated with a significant decrease in the prevalence of type I allergic reactions to NRL among healthcare workers. Given the excellent barrier properties and operating characteristics, dramatically reduced incidences of allergic reactions, availability of specific tests for selection of low-allergen gloves, competitive costs and low environmental impact, the use of NRL gloves within the hospital environment warrants reappraisal.

Implementation of a comprehensive CRM program including associated safety tools created sustained adherence to new work practices and improved non-technical and technical skills, surgical outcomes and safety culture.

Mobile phones are a normal companion in our everyday life.They are taken for granted to an extent that it is common that healthcare professionals use mobile phones for both professional and personal issues in the workplace [2,5,20,28,29] and younger employees tend to use private cell phones more often than older [7,17,19,20]. It has been reported that more than 78 percent of healthcare professionals use their private mobile phones at work [3,5,7,17,20,25,32]. However, the healthcare professionals find it difficult to draw the line between using private mobile phones for professional and private use, as they find it difficult to ignore private calls and messages [20]. There is however very little research about the patient safety and ethical implications of mobile phone use in the operating theater.Background: Today mobil phones has been incorporated in our daily lives to such an extent that they are used in the operating theater for both professional and private matters. The advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of mobile phones in the healthcare sector are described in studies.Aim: To describe healthcare professionals use and managing of professional phones and private mobile phones in the operating theater. Method:The design is a descriptive cross-sectional study with 40 structured observations in the operating theater and a questionnaire survey. The study was conducted in three surgical departments at a Swedish children's hospital. The participants were anesthetic nurses, physicians, operating theater nurses and assistant nurses. Data was analyzed descriptively in SPSS. Result:The observations showed that of 477 phone uses, 287 (60.2%) were private mobile phones and 190 (39.8%)professional phones. The adherence to basal hygiene guidelines before and after telephone use, n = 477, was 93 (19.4%) and 103 (21.5%), respectively. The questionnaire showed that 9 (27.2%) of the participants experienced daily that the use of private mobile phones disturbed team members in the operating theater. Eight (24, 2%) of participants experienced daily, 7 (21.7%) weekly, employees became less concentrated due to the use of private mobile phones. Conclusion:Increased compliance with basic hand hygiene guidelines, designing policies regarding the use of private mobile phones in the operating theater and a discussion concerning what is ethically correct in relation to the patients can be considered essential.Further studies are needed for continued exploration of the use and managing of mobile phones in the operating theater. BackgroundThe use of mobile phones in healthcare has advantages, for example, the ability to call for other healthcare team members, seek information in medical applications and assisting in learning situations [7,20,28]. What is more, mobile phones are also used for various private purposes during working hours, such as communication, social media, surfing the internet and playing games [17,19,26,28,29]. However, healthcare professionals consider that mobile phones used during work can cause di...

Background: Meeting with health care gets short before and after the operation. The difficulty at the day surgery is that preparation and information take place in close proximity to the operation. Health professionals must not only take care of the child during the medical visit, but also of the accompanying parent, too. Parents' participation in the perioperative care, sometimes unable to attend.Aim: This study aims to investigate how parental involvement in the perioperative a process can be facilitated. Method:A qualitative design based on observations and interviews with semi structured questions with open answers. Results:The results conveyed involvement in the child's perioperative process in diverse ways and to a different depth. This is highlighted in the theme Allowed with the under themes Security and Being accepted. However, the theme Exclusion with the under-theme Rejection revealed a non-caring approach where no caring relation could be established. Quotes from the transcribed material are used to highlight the results. Conclusion:The study's findings confirm earlier studies in the perspective that information is of central importance in enabling parents to be involved in the perioperative process. The results showed that parents' involvement in the perioperative process is a prerequisite for creating safety in the child and reducing concerns in connection with the operation. Parental involvement may be hindered by a conventional approach that does not include the child's perspective.