6 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0
P
repping
the
skin
before
surgery
seems to be a simple
matter. Apply the solu-
tion, let it dry and
begin the operation
with more confidence
that the patient's surgi-
cal wound will emerge infection-free. But nationwide, experts say,
prepping solution is applied correctly only about half the time. The
best way to boost skin prep compliance is to focus on educating sur-
gical team members about proper application techniques, standardiz-
ing the solutions you use and the process you've developed, and
changing the culture in your ORs.
Rubbing the wrong way
In May 2018, we decided to take a proactive approach to improving
our skin prep compliance rate. We audited 31 cases over a three-day
period in order to establish our compliance baseline. To ensure an
unbiased audit, we announced that we'd be observing OR practice in
general, not skin prep in particular. We found our team adhered to
manufacturers' IFUs for skin prep application in 45% of the cases,
while meeting the dry time standard of three minutes in 52% of the
Romulo T. Vallejo, MSN, RN | Orange, Calif.
Are You Applying Skin Preps Properly?
Address common reasons for noncompliance
to reduce the risk of surgical site infections.
• READY, SET, GO April Andrade, RN, BSN, stands ready to drape the patient as
Tanya Muallem, RN, preps the patient.
