OSE_1311_part2_Layout 1 11/6/13 9:40 AM Page 96
I N F E C T I O N
P R E V E N T I O N
contaminated surgery
that show an overall
decrease in SSIs with
other preps. So depending on the type of surgery, you might decide
to just use a chlorhexidine scrub solution, or a
WHICH IS BETTER? Some experts strongly advocate using
plain iodophor absent
chlorhexidine, but there have been no definitive head-to-head
studies comparing it with povidone-iodine.
the alcohol solution.
Another consideration: Check to make sure the patient doesn't have
any allergies, and that the procedure won't be at a site where alcohol
might be contraindicated because it's harmful to the mucous membranes. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the instructions on the
alcohol-based preps, because they're contraindicated in certain situations.
Ultimately, you should decide — based on all available evidence —
what the appropriate alternatives are for all those cases, and standardize your procedures, so you take the guesswork out of it.
4. Don't shave, use clippers
It's taken years, but the evidence is overwhelming and most people now
know that you don't ever shave a patient. If hair has to be removed, and
sometimes it does because of the visualization of the site, you clip it and
you do so as close to time of surgery as possible. Shaving causes nicks,
which let microorganisms enter the body. OSM
Ms. Greene (linda_greene@urmc.rochester.edu) is the manager of infection
prevention at Highland Hospital, an affiliate of the University of Rochester
Medical Center.
9 6
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 | N O V E M B E R 2013
