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I N F E C T I O N
P R E V E N T I O N
must educate the patient to enlist him in his own infection prevention
regimen and to ensure compliance. This education should involve
either providing patients with CHG soap (or CHG-impregnated wipes,
which the project says may be more convenient if properly used) or
letting them know where it can be obtained. Also instruct patients in
the agent's use: to wash the whole body, from the neck down, but
avoiding the genitals.
You give a lot of information to patients before surgery, sometimes
in a hurry, and sometimes it's not as easy to understand or to do as we
think. They might be confused, or can't remember everything, or possibly don't have the physical flexibility to reach and wash the surgical
site. An explanation, a checklist, a few questions to find out if they
can do what you're asking (or have a caregiver who can help) will go
a long way toward compliance.
3. "Screen patients for
Staphylococcus aureus
(SA) and decolonize SA
carriers with 5 days of
intranasal mupirocin and
bathing or showering with
CHG soap for at least 3
Some interventions that
can head off SSIs are outside our control and can be
difficult for patients as
well. Studies have shown,
for example, that obese
patients can improve their
infection defenses and
wound healing abilities by
M A R C H 2013 | O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
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