Question

A medical assistant is working in the clinic lab today. He is wearing a brand new pair of scrubs that are a little long, so he rolls them up. Unfortunately, they do not stay that way and he finally just lets them drag on the floor. He wears his lab coat when drawing patients. When his shift is over he stops by the daycare center to pick up his 3-year-old son. While there, another toddler drops their pacifier on the floor next to the medical assistant’s feet. The toddler then picks it up and puts it in her mouth. The next week he learns that the child was hospitalized with severe diarrhea and dehydration.

What did the medical assistant do wrong? What can he do to prevent something similar from happening in the future?

Answer 1

The above-mentioned scenario indicates that the toddler was likely infected by rotavirus. The pathogen is spread through contaminated foods, drinks, surfaces and objects.

The medical assistant wore scrubs which dragged on floor probably picked up the virus and he did not change before visiting day care and did not clean or suggest to clean the pacifier which the toddler dropped and picked up.

He can prevent this situation in future by changing the scrubs used at clinic lab before getting in contact with children and by cleaning hands, pacifiers and other toys which are getting in contact with children.