The Compliance Divas Podcast
Our podcast covers current topics such as infection prevention and control, OSHA and HIPAA compliance for dentistry. We discuss the latest regulatory information, answer frequently asked questions and give suggestions for dental practices to make compliance easy and sustainable. The Compliance Divas are a trusted source for consistent, accurate information based upon current guidelines, standards, science, and recommendations.
The Compliance Divas Podcast
#121 Are You Maintaining Your X-ray Aprons Properly?
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The X-ray Apron in your Dental Practice is subject to wear and tear. Do you know how to inspect your apron for internal compromise? Do you store the apron properly, to prevent damage? This episode will provide do's and don'ts and tips to extend the life and usefulness of your apron.
Resources:
- Kerr Total Care - Wall mount X-ray Apron Hanger https://bit.ly/44zSL6a
- Universal Medical - X-Ray Protective Apron Care: 9 Do's and Dont's https://bit.ly/3L27mAe
- Ultraray Medical Protective Garment Guide https://bit.ly/45wUrPk
- Barrier Technologies Ultimate Guide to Sanitizing and Cleaning Lead Aprons https://bit.ly/3EfqQxG
Welcome. I'm Leslie Cannon. I'm Mary Gavoni.
SPEAKER_02I'm Linda Harvey. I'm Olivia Waughn, and together we are the Compliance Divas.
SPEAKER_01Hello and welcome to this episode of the Compliance Divas podcast. My name is Leslie Cannon, and I'm going to be your moderator today when we talk about protective x-ray aprons. We bring clarity and simplicity to compliance by navigating regulatory compliance to keep you on track. We encourage you to subscribe to the Compliance Divas podcast for your favorite podcast channel or on our website, thecompliancedeevas.com. The resources we mentioned during our podcast can be found on our compliancedeivas.com website. We encourage you to submit your questions to support at thecompliancedeevas.com. Well, one thing that's found in just about every dental practice is an x-ray apron that we drape over our patients and a thyroid collar. We'd like to delve a little bit more into infection control and x-ray apron do's and don'ts. And so what I'd like to do first is call on our diva Olivia to explain how you would even check an X-ray apron for defects, cracks, or creases and perforations that could potentially allow radiation to reach the patient. Olivia?
SPEAKER_02Well, the first step would be to place the apron on a flat surface, such as a countertop or a table. And this way you can look closely at all the seams and the outer and inner covers of the apron, looking for any damage, especially if someone has incorrectly applied the wrong disinfectant, it will cause that top layer to dry and peel and separate from those seams. And then also infect the surface of the apron with your hands, trying to feel for any fumps or cracks, any stagging of the inner material. And also, if you do note that it's ripped or torn, you want to report it to management. Now, let's say this is something that we have seen when we're conducting on-site inspections. We'll look at the aprons, and many times we have detected damaged aprons and use. And once again, that comes from incorrectly disinfecting and cleaning the apron, causing it to drag to dry and crack, and also improper storage, which we will talk about in a minute. So just to finalize that point, Leslie, just be sure that we're uh putting it on a flat surface and inspecting it properly.
SPEAKER_01Well, thanks, Olivia, for that tip because I don't think that's something that is the routine part of our equipment checklist. And it should be. And we don't often think about the x-ray apron. Well, our Diva Linda is not with us today, but she wanted to make sure that she provided some tips on care. And so we're going to talk about cleaning the frequency and some cleaning tips. As Olivia mentioned, if you clean or disinfect your x-ray apron with the wrong product, it could cause damage. So in addition to checking your x-ray apron, they should be cleaned whenever they are used after a patient with disinfectant. But uh, we also want to make sure that we look at some of the buildups that could occur on these x-ray aprons. So scrubbing with a very soft bristle brush using cold water and a mild detergent. And that will help to remove any of the cleaning residue sometimes that builds up with the disinfectants that we use, and then rinse thoroughly with clean, cold water. And we want to ensure that x-ray aprons are not damaged while cleaning. So it's a good idea not to use products that use bleach. And I know some of our disinfectants that are popular today do contain bleach or they use accelerated hydrogen peroxide. So please check with the manufacturer of your x-ray apron to see what disinfectant types are suitable. It's also important to recognize that we don't want to give them a bath. We don't want to soak or submerge an X-ray apron in water, and we don't want to put it in the laundry. You might think, well, gee, I put my clinical jacket into the washer and dryer, why not the x-ray apron? Well, laundering it or auto cleaning it or try cleaning it is not an appropriate method for uh keeping that clean for another patient. We also want to make sure that once an x-ray apron has been cleaned, to hang it and to hang it so that it's not folded. And I'd like to call on our diva Mary to talk a little bit about the storage of x-ray aprons when they're not in use.
SPEAKER_00If a practice has the older lead aprons, those are pretty heavy. So if you're going to hang them, you need to make sure you have the appropriate hangers that can support the weight of those, but you absolutely should not fold them. Many people will fold them in quarters and store them in a drawer or in a cabinet, or even lay them over the back of a chair, which could cost some creasing. So they should always be hung. If the practice has to replace some of their older x-ray aprons that do have lead, the suggestion that I would give is invest in the lead-free aprons. They're much lighter, they're less prone to cracking, although they still should be hung. And then you don't have to worry about disposing of them. So if you have an x-ray apron that has lead and it needs to be disposed of, you're replacing it, you cannot just put it out in the trash because lead is not allowed to go to the landfill. So the best suggestion is either talk to the manufacturer of your apron and see if they have any recycle suggestions for you. There are some companies that will accept the older ones back in trade if you purchase new ones, but you can also find a metal recycler in your area and they will buy it from you. You're not going to get rich off of it, but you'll get a little bit of money, maybe enough to buy some pizzas for lunch for the team, but a metal recycler will take it from you. Mary, that's great information.
SPEAKER_01Well, if I could very quickly go around and get some tips and suggestions. Olivia, can you tell us about where an X-ray apron should be stored and where it shouldn't be stored?
SPEAKER_02Well, Leslie, we should store them in a temperature-controlled environment, avoid really, really cold or hot temperatures or even direct sunlight. I have seen in some offices where they've had supply closets because of a lack of room in areas that were not controlled with proper heat and air conditioning, and that just causes so much problem with humidity and could damage these aprons if it's too hot. So just some thoughts to think about on protecting your investment.
SPEAKER_01And Olivia, I understand that a lot of dental practices have beautiful, sunny, open windows, and direct sunlight could be a source of heat that could possibly be damaging over time to a lead apron. Mary, what are the things should we be aware of when we're storing our lead apron?
SPEAKER_00Well, certainly you want to keep your X-ray apron away from anything sharp, anything that can puncture the cover, because it could also puncture the barrier underneath, and you want to keep the outside barrier intact. But I also wanted to mention something and build on what Olivia said earlier about how you store those x-ray aprons away from direct sunlight and in a temperature-controlled area. That also applies to other supplies, especially gloves. If gloves are stored in an area where there's a lot of heat, then they can start to degrade and then they won't provide adequate protection. So storage of a lot of things in addition to the X-ray aprons is very, very important.
SPEAKER_01That makes a lot of sense, Mary, when you think about the various supplies that we use and what can occur when they are prone to damage by heat, humidity, or direct sunlight. Now, Linda wanted to let us know that X-ray aprons should be evaluated at least every 18 to 24 months. So if not on your hit list to look at your x-ray apron with an eye to should I replace this, or is it something that can continue to be serviceable to us? And I also want to point out that patient perception is so important. Take a look at your lead apron from the standpoint of are there some cracks? And sometimes team members are tempted to maybe uh tape up the cracks with some clear tape. What message does that send to the patient when we have our our equipment that is our protective equipment for their protection held together in a sort of a Mickey Mouse sort of way? So perception is important when it comes to lead apron. And of course, infection control is important. We want to make sure that it's disinfected with the right disinfectant for the right amount of time after overuse, and to be mindful of how we place the lead apron on the patient. Are we wearing gloves that were contaminated because we maybe performed a procedure on the patient? Or have we removed those gloves to place the lead apron? Now, same thing with removal. We remember many times I remember when I place a digital sensor or an X-ray palm in a patient's mouth. My fingertips do touch oral mucosa. There is some saliva. And at the end of the x-ray procedure, how are we removing that lead apron? Are we using the same contaminated gloves? And are we maybe touching parts of the apron that are fabric, like the stitching around the edges? So it's all important things to keep in mind and to bring up maybe at your next team meeting that we have a little bit of time to talk about the lead apron do's and don'ts. We want to make sure that we store it properly. We want to check it periodically for defects, cracks, creases, and perforations. We want to store it in a hanging position. Um, I know for just certain dental boards and uh for certain of the radiologic branches around the country, for example, in California, the Department of Health Services radiologic branch will cite a dental practice if they fold their extra apron. It needs to be hung. And if you don't have wall space to tangle that apron, the other option would be to roll it, like kind of like a jelly wolf. Then that way you avoid the compromise increases and you can store it in that manner. We also want to make sure that we don't clean with products that are going to damage or cause uh the x-ray apron to change color. We don't want to submerge it in water, we don't want to machine wash it or dry clean it. And we certainly um want to be mindful if that is something that is going to need to be replaced, that we are replacing it by disposing of it properly because if it's a lead apron, it does have the option, uh opportunity to fill the landfill with harmful or house materials. So we need to look into recycling. And as Mary said, maybe you can pick up a few pennies from the recycling. If nothing else, you can get that lead apron disposed of properly. Well, with that, we hope that this brief podcast on care and maintenance of your x-ray apron has been helpful to you and eye-opening, and we hope that you'll bring this information to your team so that you can protect your patients and protect your practice. With that, we like to think we bring clarity and simplicity to compliance by navigating the regulatory compliance environment to keep you on course. And please submit your questions to support at the compliance divas.com. We look forward to having you download and listen to our next podcast.