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Student in the ICU: How Erasmus MC reuses glasses and face masks

Student in the ICU: How Erasmus MC reuses glasses and face masks

Elmer Smaling

22 April 2020

Students in the ICU

A huge amount of protective glasses and face masks are needed in the hospital. “The Central Sterilisation Department sterilises normal surgical instruments, but now also glasses and masks. “There is a huge shortage of these, so it is very important that we can reuse them,” says Robbert-Jan Raad in his vlog.

The CSA receives hundreds of glasses a day from different departments. “The frame of a pair of glasses was already reusable. Normally we would throw away the glasses, but now we clean them industrially,” says CSA employee Björn. “We also get glasses donated, we clean those here as well.

Emergency stock

In a special ‘washing machine’, complete operating room carts are usually washed. But now the glasses go in there as well. “To do that, we had to rearrange the carts. Now we can put about three hundred spectacles on them. First we have to let them dry, then we send them back to the ward.” The CSA now also cleans used face masks. “First we check them optically for cleanliness, then they go into the machine to sterilise,” says Björn. For the time being, the recycled facial masks are not yet in use. “We’re only doing that as a backup. When the stock of new masks is finished, we’ll have an emergency stock here.”

Watch yesterday's vlog by Merve

Students in the ICU: Merve’s first real CPR session
Gepubliceerd op: 21 April 2020
- Students in the ICU
Article type: Video

During the corona crisis, medical students are working in Erasmus MC’s intensive care unit, where many corona patients are treated. Every week Merve Rousian, Robbert-Jan Raad ,Britt Hoeven and Jasper Klasen vlog about their experiences in the ICU. Overview of all episodes >>