just before you transport the patient to the OR. That way you can be
sure that the 1-hour window won't lapse before surgery starts, but
there's still some preparation time to allow the drugs to take effect.
We've even incorporated a question about whether antibiotics were
administered, and on time, into our pre-surgical time out. It only takes
a couple of seconds and adds another level of patient safety.
Antibiotic prophylaxis doesn't stop there, though. Patients are pre-
scribed scheduled doses for the 24 hours following surgery. Because
infections can arise in the joint months or even years later, and
because surgical wounds leave patients particularly vulnerable to bac-
teria, patients might require a single dose of oral antibiotics in the
hour prior to any subsequent invasive or quasi-invasive procedures,
including dental work.
4. Limit exposure
Any time you open a joint, you're potentially exposing it to airborne bac-
J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 3 3
• EFFICIENT APPROACH Minimally invasive joint replacements can sidestep many complications — but don't go too minimal.
Panorama
Orthopedics
and
Spine
Center
