|
The IAC Standards
and Guidelines |
Click here for a printer-friendly PDF of the Adult
Echocardiography Standards |
4.1A Patient
and employee safety is ensured by written policies and procedures approved by
the Medical Director.
4.1.1A Personnel Safety Policy (Ergonomics)
– A policy must be in place to address technical staff
safety, comfort and avoidance of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD).
4.1.2A When in the presence of ionizing radiation, all staff must observe proper radiation safety techniques as prescribed by the facility’s policies.
4.1.3A
Standard echocardiograms are considered to be safe to both patients and
sonographers. However, special echocardiographic procedures, such as
transesophageal echocardiograms and stress echocardiograms, pose
potential risks to the safety of the patient due to either their
semi-invasive nature, or the physiologic stress placed on the
cardiovascular system of the patient. For this reason, an
echocardiography facility providing special echocardiographic
procedures must have an emergency procedure plan, and the following
emergency supplies must be readily available for transesophageal
echocardiograms and stress echocardiograms:
4.1.3.1A a
fully equipped cardiac arrest cart (crash cart);
4.1.3.3A equipment
for starting and maintaining intravenous access;
4.1.3.4A oxygen
tanks or wall mounted oxygen sources with appropriate cannulae and/or masks;
and
4.1.4A The
facility must meet the standards set forth by the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) and by the Joint Commission (JC), where
applicable.
4.1.5A The
facility must have a written procedure in place for handling acute medical
emergencies.
4.1.1A
Comment: For additional
www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/wp-solutions/2006-148/
www.sdms.org/OSHA/etool.asp
www.sdms.org/pdf/wrmsd2003.pdf