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S U R G I C A L
S K I N
A N T I S E P S I S
even when the skin will ostensibly have a chance to heal before surgery.
"Pre-op shaving of the surgical site, even the night before the procedure, is associated with a significantly higher SSI risk," she says. "It
creates microscopic cuts that provide entry for bacteria to enter and a
place for them to then multiply."
To ensure compliance, remove razors from the OR and instruct
patients not to shave at home before surgery, says Ms. Greene.
4. Should you warm prep solutions?
In your efforts to maintain perioperative normothermia, it might be
tempting to warm prep solution so as not to actively cool the patient's
skin in the OR. However, doing so can lead to fires or burns with
some solutions, warns Ms. Pettis.
"The alcohol solutions in particular are flammable and shouldn't be
warmed due to risk of fire," she says. "Heat can change the chemical
properties of the active ingredients of some prep solutions, resulting
in reduced effectiveness or skin burns. The solution might feel fine to
you, but the warmth can creep up on the patient, who can't communicate that to you."
She recommends that you check all manufacturers' instructions to
confirm whether warming is allowed. For example, PCMX specifically
states, "Do not heat."
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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 | D E C E M B E R 2012
