Greg Kafoury, Ms.
Holden's lawyer, says
"there's a level of
uncertainty" as to
what sparked the fire.
The lawsuit states
that the "anesthetic"
fueled the flames, but
given that the anes-
thetic traditionally
used for left temporal
artery biopsy is a
local injection, that seems unlikely.
What precautions should you take when applying an alco-
hol-based prep?
a. let it dry for 3 minutes on hairless skin
b. avoid use of an ignition source until the solution is completely
dry
c. avoid applying solution into hairy areas
d. do not let the solution pool
e. all of the above
Answer: e
Let preps that contain isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and give off flammable
vapors — ChloraPrep (70% IPA), DuraPrep (74% IPA) and Prevail-FX
(72.5% IPA) — dry for at least 3 minutes on hairless skin before drap-
ing the patient or activating an ignition source such as an electro-
cautery device, say the prep manufacturers. Should the prep seep into
the patient's hair, let it dry for 1 hour before surgery begins (wet hair is
4 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7
• CLOSE CUT Whenever possible, hair should be removed with single-use surgical
clippers in the pre-op area.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
