I never knew this

[DebbyA]

At the pre-surgery exam, the nurse put a plastic bracelet covered with bright orange stickers around my wrist and told me to leave it on til surgery day. I was so astounded that I asked her to repeat it, then also asked the next nurse if I had heard correctly. Then when I had to call back for some bureaucratic reason, asked again, because some of the little stickers were falling off. This time the nurse said that removing it could delay or even cancel surgery .

 

[geebee]

News to me. I would think that, if they wanted the bracelet on when you enter the hospital, they would have given it to you and asked that you put it on just before arrival. After all, it's not like you are going to give it to someone else.

Making you leave it on for almost a week seems a bit odd. Is it one of those things that will be destroyed if you try to remove it?

 

[Nancy]

It is pretty much standard practice here to put your plastic bracelet on at the time of your Pre-Op Testing exam, and be required to leave it on until admittance, same for any transfusion testing.

I don't recall any little stickers adhered to the bracelets. However, if those little stickers are falling off all on their own and the hospital is going to get into a tizzy about it, it is THEIR problem and their responsibility to either get stickers that do not fall off, or find another, better method so there is some longevity.

I'd say, save the fallen off stickers so the hospital can look at them when you go in.

 

[Marguerite53]

Well, it does sound a bit ridiculous. But hey, you are having surgery soon. You need to be calm and relaxed and not concerned with hospital administrative procedure. Laugh about it with your anesthesiologist when they're putting you under. Laughter and life-glow is what it's all about right now for you, so save the stickers as Nancy suggests (put them in a zip-loc like airport security ) and don't think another thing about it.

When it's all said and done, then you can make a stink about it if you want. Right now, you just need to stay high on life and take those confidence "vitamins" every day!!

Best wishes!!

Marguerite

 

[DebbyA]

Thanks everyone! I should have used a smilie. I just posted this for those to follow. I'm not concerned about it, just still astonished. My few procedures heretofore have been outpatient. On my third query, stickers were already coming loose and they told me not to worry because the plastic has numbers in it.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

When I had my surgery, I had all the pre-op testing a few days before. When I checked in to the Guest Services desk that morning, all the paperwork had already been taken care of, and they put me in a patient room where they put on my bracelet, started the IV, and did the other last minute things. This patient room was not on the cardiac floor - it was a room specifically used for people who are having OHS. Then, they transferred me directly to the OR for the surgery. This is standard practice at that hospital for OHS, but not for other surgeries. They said that they want as little stress as possible on their OHS patients, and that includes making sure they are comfortable prior to surgery, not laying on a gurney, half dressed, in a cold room with a bunch of other people.

I can't imagine having to keep a bracelet on for a week, especially with stickers. I was told I had to wash thoroughly with antibacterial soap (Hibiclens?) the morning of the surgery, so I'm sure it would have fallen off.

 

[tobagotwo]

Hospital bureaucracies set new standards for ridiculous. I had to answer the same questions for three different departments on three different forms - AFTER I was admitted, which had already required me to fill out an admission form with all that information on it.

It's a bit unnerving to think that these people are supposed to keep things straight for you. Fortunately, most places are much better at caregiving than office work.

Best wishes,