Can DH take a phone into theatre?

[snowydrops]

Sounds likes stupid question but can my DH take his phone In so we can take some photos and I can listen to my hypnosis sounds whilst having an ELCS or does it need to be a normal camera?!

My DH took photos on his phone during the ELCS birth of dd2 in 2012.

We asked the consultant when booked for the CS and he said it was fine

I'm sure this is happening more and more. Maybe check if his phone has "flight mode" setting. That will turn off the network, txt, wi-fi searching capabilities and therefore render the phone as basically just a camera. They can't argue that it interferes with equipment etc.

Yes, surgeons often use their mobiles in theatre to contact colleagues etc. Someone once told me that it was the old fire alarms that they interfered with, rather than the medical equipment.

In my hospital, the literature said no but no-one actually cared

My DH was able to take his in for my EMCS. Definitely allowed as it was a midwife who suggested it, and she even took some photos for us :)

All theatre staff have phones with them and often take calls, so no problem at all

We did. Nobody questioned it.
Dh had it on his lap on record mode(not recording any visuals). Heard DS's coming out, calling out he was a boy, gasps at his size, first cry and weight being called out. He stopped it after that and took photos. Best thing ever x

Hobby that's so lovely. DH took his normal camera into theatre but I was allowed to take my phone into NICU to take photos of DS and the equipment there is probably similar to the equipment in theatre.

we did and the anaesthetist took the photos whilst DP had the first cuddle. we have a photo of DD at a minute old - you can see DP's watch. Lovely! Go for it

As an NHS professional I am quite horrified by this. The risk of transmission of infection is terrible - just another source of transmission of MRSA :(

Surely MRSA transfer risk is minimised with alcohol wipes of the phone /camera. More risk from attending Dad I grant you but again not insurmountable.

Do people do that though? C diff isn't killed with alcohol so that wouldn't help with that one.

What's the point in swabbing every patient that is admitted to hospital if you allow sources of contamination directly into the operating theatre

I think (hope) auntie is being sarcastic - it's the oft trotted out reason we can't do anything. We aren't allowed to put laminated implant guides on the wall because of mrsa.

But rant over, you are definitely allowed phone in theatres.

Oh no you're not. Oh okaaaay. Let's see who's been mrsa screened in theatre? Patient? Yes. Anaesthetist? Nope. ODP? Nope. Circulating staff? Nope. Scrub staff? Nope. Surgeon?? Nope.

Why? Because the risk is an mrsa infected wound. So it matters whether the patient has mrsa but not anybody else as any important contact (actual operating, wound dressings etc) will be done in a sterile manner.

If it was an issue none of us would be allowed our phones for on-call in theatres. And we are. And unless the phone is going to be put into your wound I'm not sure why MRSA would be a worry!

Blimey I've caused a debate here! Well it sounds as if if we aren't allowed the phone in we won't be allowed a normal camera anyway so I'll take the risk and take the phone and if it as no go then so be it!

Love the idea of a sound recording of the birth, that's lovely.

Honestly you'll be fine. One of the assistants in there took photos of the 3 of us for us. We didn't ask, she just said 'oh I haven't taken any photos of you's yet, give us your camera' and then took lots.

You will definitely be allowed it.

And I don't agree with the phone/Mrsa comment either ..... Unless the phone gets dropped in your open stomach of course !