1 0
S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P AT 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 | M AY 2 0 1 4
wipes is an effective practice, but we
also hope to see more high-quality
research to confirm that.
Hair removal
The evidence in favor of leaving hair in
place at the surgical site is strong. In
one landmark study of nearly 24,000
surgical wounds, researchers found that patients who were shaved with a
razor had a 2.3% infection rate, patients who had hair clipped had a 1.7% infec-
tion rate and those whose hair was left in place had a 0.9% infection rate
(
tinyurl.com/pvda346
).
That and other studies also provide strong evidence that in those instances
where hair needs to be removed, it should be done either with clippers or a
depilatory method, though there's no evidence to suggest that one should be
favored over the other.
We do see strong evidence that clipper heads should be single-use and dis-
posed of after each patient and that clipper handles should be disinfected after
each use. Likewise, with depilatories, strong evidence supports testing skin for
allergies or other irritation in an area away from the surgical site at least 24
hours before it's to be applied at the surgical site.
Following instructions
One would expect the manufacturers of the various antiseptics to be the experts
as far as their own products are concerned, and reasonably strong evidence
supports that notion. Strictly adhering to their recommendations is the best way
to prevent patient harm in the form of fire, chemical injury or inadequate anti-
sepsis.
Evidence also supports the importance of following their recommendations
for handling, storing and disposing of the product. Also important are FDA rec-
S K I N P R E P P I N G
CLIP,
DON'T SHAVE
The
best option is to leave hair in place
at the surgical site. But if you can't, be sure to use either
clippers or a depilatory.
1405_InfectionControl_Layout 1 5/2/14 11:05 AM Page 10
