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IDEAS THAT WORK
SAVE ON IV BAGS
Better to Hang a 1L
Bag Than 2 500cc Bags
SSI PREVENTION
save
nearly a dollar on every
patient when
WASTE NOT It's better to hang a
1L IV bag than 2 500cc bags.
we hang a 1L bag of IV fluid in
pre-op rather than 2 500cc bags.
We pay 97¢ per 1L bag and 91¢ per
500cc bag, a difference of 85¢ per
patient. Not a huge savings, but if
you average 30 patients per day,
there's potential for saving more
than $6,000 per year. With the
exception of pediatric patients or
some adults in whom you must
limit fluid intake, almost all of our
patients will receive more than
500cc of IV fluid.
Linda W. Frix, RN, BSN, CAPA
Northern Virginia Surgery Center
Fairfax, Va.
lfrix@fairoakssc.com
2 0 | O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E | A P R I L 2 013
Linda W. Frix, RN, BSN, CAPA
W
e
Make Chlorhexidine
Pre-Op Showers Count
S
tudies have shown that
patients who bathe or show-
er for at least 3 days with a soap
or wipes containing the antiseptic chlorhexidine have fewer
SSIs. But be sure your pre-op
nurses advise patients about the
importance of drying themselves
with clean towels, sleeping on
clean sheets, and wearing clean
underwear and clothes before
surgery to avoid replacing bacteria on the skin.
Karen Reiter, RN, CNOR, RNFA
DISC Sports and Spine Center
Marina del Rey, Calif.
karen.reiter@discmdgroup.com
