N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 8 1
S
imple solutions
are almost
always best. No
one will accuse
your facility of
providing groundbreaking
surgical care if you make sure
patients clean their skin
before they arrive for surgery,
your staff follow proper skin
prepping and hand hygiene
protocols, and nasal decolo-
nization is part of your pre-op
routine. Still, it's always a
good idea to brush up on
infection prevention's basic
protocols and make sure
they're being followed in your
facility for a very practical
reason: They work.
1. Skin prepping
Instruct patients to use chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) wipes or
bathing solution on the days leading up to surgery, and make sure
they understand the solution and the importance of doing so, says
Luci Perri, RN, BSN, MSN, CIC, FAPIC, founder and president of
Adam Taylor | Senior Associate Editor
5 Steps to Fewer SSIs
Don't ignore the bacteria-fighting benefits
of a back-to-basics approach to infection control.
• SKIN IN THE GAME Make sure your surgical, nursing and anesthesia
teams are compliant with SSI prevention protocols.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR