See subject. Especially doctors and specialty nurses who get down and deep in the guck.
im sure
I’m not a medical professional, but a relative of mine was in a coma for a while after a car accident and they removed her earrings and nose ring in the ER. They didn’t have to do any kind of operation on her, but she did require a feeding tube so I suppose the nose ring might have been a concern there. Just speculating here, but a bigger issue might be piercings getting caught on things, showing up in an x-ray image, or being ripped out of the body by the magnetic force of an MRI machine. Since it wouldn’t be immediately clear what kinds of tests an ER patient might need, it may be considered wisest to just get the piercings out ASAP.
I would assume that for a scheduled procedure patients would be instructed to remove any piercings ahead of time if the piercings were considered a potential problem.
Medical student currently doing 3rd year surgery rotation here. Yes, everyone removes their rings. I recall seeing something during our orientation about how you’re not supposed to wear earrings either, but I have seen women leave simple studs in, as well as one woman who has a couple of those higher-up-in-the-cartilage rings who leaves them in. I haven’t seen anyone with a nose or other kind of piercing, so I don’t know what theydo.
Rad Tech here.
I spend a good deal of time in the OR. Yes, the doctors and nurses that are scrubbed in will remove all wrings, watches, and things on their hands.
I, too, have seen ear rings, small ones, on some nurses.
Side note: There was an imposter doctor at the University of Minnesota that got busted, in part, because he didn’t take his ring off when scrubbing in.
ETA: Patients are encouraged to remove all jewelry before going into the OR.
D’oh, I realize I misunderstood the OP’s question. I thought it was asking whether OR personnel have to remove the piercings of patients. :smack:
That was how I interpreted the question too.
Here is why obstetricians don’t wear watches.
In fact, most hospitals encourage patients to remove all jewelry, valuable watches, etc. when checking in, and send that home with someone.
Just because hospitals are public places, with lots of employees, patients, & visitors moving around, and most doors don’t have locks, and most rooms don’t have secure places to keep such valuables. Hospitals much prefer that you don’t even have such things in the hospital at all.
I had some surgery and I kept my wedding ring on. I gave my engagement ring to my husband. I was not asked about the ring – I just left it on and nobody said anything. I’ve never taken it off since our wedding, but I’m not the obsessive type who won’t take it off even at gunpoint – if they’d told me I had to, I would have.
I’d always tie my wedding band onto my scrub pant straps before surgery, till, after forgetting to untie it back in the dressing room a few times, the wife convinced me to refrain from doing so again (did I mention she has a great right hook?).
…Always got the ring back, though, thanks to our honest hospital laundry staff—wish I were as lucky getting stray pocketed twenties back from our home laundry staff (i.e. the wife with the great right hook…also has sticky fingers). :mad:
My father’s an MD, and hasn’t worn a wedding ring in years - he was afraid he’d leave it at the scrub station and lose it, and Mom wasn’t overly concerned if he didn’t wear one, so he left it off. Easier for everyone around.
As for patient emergencies, I suppose it depends on where the injuries are. My mom was in a car accident in 2004, but I don’t honestly recall whether they took her rings or earrings off or not. (Her index finger was broken, but I don’t remember looking for the ring she usually wears on the third finger of that hand). If it’s life-threatening, I’d guess they leave everything where it is unless they’ve a reason to remove it. I’d further guess that they’d remove it later, as needed, or ask the family to do so.
Mom did get everything back that the hospital had removed - on release, she received a bag of clothes they’d cut off of her. I think she’d rather they’d just disposed of them too; there was really no saving anything. Maybe that’s an option at other hospitals.