Blog - By Sector | Steroplast Healthcare

What is a Pulse Oximeter?

By Steroplast Healthcare , 15 Dec 2021

This year, researchers at the University of Washington at Seattle found that of hospitalised patients with Covid-19, those with low blood oxygen saturations were 1.8 to 4.0 times more likely to die in hospital. This led many people to purchase pulse oximeters for use at home to check their blood oxygen saturation.

A pulse oximeter is a non-invasive device that can be used to measure the saturation of oxygen in the blood. They are easy to use and can be used by anyone, even people who aren’t medically trained.

In this article, we’ll cover how a pulse oximeter works and what they are used for.

Posted in General, Emergency, First Aid, Medical, Hospital and Diagnostics

Biohazard Bags Colour Coding: A UK Guide

By Steroplast Healthcare , 13 Dec 2021

Waste generated by the healthcare sector is some of the most hazardous waste, including harmful chemicals and potentially infectious materials that can pose a serious risk if not handled properly. Business owners and operators are required under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to make sure potentially harmful waste is disposed of responsibly.

Here’s our comprehensive guide to hazardous and non-hazardous waste bags for use in healthcare settings.

Posted in General, Veterinary and Hospital

Biohazard Waste Bags: Definition and Guidance

By Steroplast Healthcare , 10 Dec 2021

Biohazard waste bags are important for making sure that potentially dangerous waste material is disposed of properly and doesn’t end up hurting people, animals, or the environment. If you run a business in the UK you have a duty of care to responsibly dispose of biohazardous waste, otherwise, you could be fined or prosecuted.

In this article, we clarify what a biohazardous waste bag is used for and who needs to use them.

Does Hand Sanitizer Kill Viruses? What Else is it Effective Against?

By Steroplast Healthcare , 9 Dec 2021

Is hand sanitiser effective? The question is on everyone’s minds while we each do our part to overcome Covid-19. When asking ‘does hand sanitiser work?’ the answer depends on what you’re trying to achieve. For many people, the primary objective of using hand gel is to prevent cross-contamination of the Covid-19 virus. The truth is that hand sanitiser is highly effective at killing bacteria, fungi, and other viruses too.

A Ringworm Cleaning Protocol For Veterinary Exam Rooms

By Steroplast Healthcare , 9 Dec 2021

Dermatophytosis, otherwise known as Ringworm, is a fungal infection that can attack the fur and skin of dogs and cats. Ringworm has a high infection rate because of how easy it is to pass through contact but also fomites. Manhattan Cats found that “50% of people exposed to infected cats develop ringworm lesions and that in approximately 70% of all households with an infected cat, at least one person became infected.”

How Accurate are Non-Contact Thermometers?

By Steroplast Healthcare , 8 Dec 2021

It seems really simple: you point a laser at someone’s forehead and press a button. In a split second, you have a temperature reading. The simplicity of non-contact thermometers has got some people wondering how accurate they really are?

Find out about non-contact thermometer accuracy in this article.

How to Use a Non-Contact Infrared Thermometer

By Steroplast Healthcare , 3 Dec 2021

Non-contact thermometers have become an essential component of an infection control plan for many businesses. But lack of knowledge about how to use an infrared thermometer with a laser pointer correctly could mean you’re recording temperatures wrong, making your efforts futile.

Follow this guide, or show it to your staff, for how to use a non-contact forehead thermometer correctly.

How do Infrared Thermometers Work?

By Steroplast Healthcare , 25 Nov 2021

To people who haven’t seen them before, infrared thermometers might look like something straight out of an episode of Dr Who. It’s no wonder some people are hesitant about the safety of using an IR thermometer. But infrared thermometers are far more hygienic than oral, axillary and rectal thermometers, and tend to be more accurate too, provided you use a CE Certified unit.

We’ll go through how infrared thermometers work in this article.

Common Infrared Thermometer Uses

By Steroplast Healthcare , 25 Nov 2021

The infrared thermometer has all but replaced the probe and strip thermometers as a significantly more hygienic, accurate, and adaptable alternative. Sometimes called a laser thermometer or contactless thermometer, an infrared (IR) thermometer scans sections of an object with a laser to determine its ambient temperature.

The fact that infrared thermometers do not require any physical contact makes them handy for busy doctors and nurses. There is no need to sterilise between uses or use disposable probe covers. The usability of contactless thermometers is also helpful when trying to take temperature readings in hard to reach areas. So, many engineers and catering professionals use laser thermometers to measure the temperature of equipment and produce.

So, what is an infrared thermometer used for in different industries? In this article, we’ll cover the most common uses for infrared thermometers.

Are Infrared Thermometers Safe?

By Steroplast Healthcare , 25 Nov 2021

Following the surge in contactless thermometer use, some people have taken to social media to state their belief that infrared thermometers can be harmful to the people they are pointed at. One video post on Facebook depicts a conversation between a mother and dental receptionist where the mother raises concerns about what the laser thermometer will do to her children, in particular, the pineal glands in their brains.

In fact, there’s nothing dangerous about using an infrared (IR) thermometer at all, as debunked by Full Fact. We’ll explain why infrared thermometers aren’t dangerous in this article.