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Did Skin Prep Fuel This Fire? - February 2017 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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Answer: a It certainly can't hurt to have patients wash the skin around the inci- sion site with soap or antiseptic solution before they arrive for sur- gery, but pre-op bathing has not been definitively proven to reduce the risk of surgical site infections. At-home pre-op cleansing was among the World Health Organization's 29 recently released evidence-based guidelines for preventing SSIs (osmag.net/shr7zo). The recommenda- tion says it's "good practice" for patients to bathe or shower before surgery with plain or antimicrobial soap or CHG-impregnated cloths, but did not tout the use of one over the other and noted that there is limited to low-quality evidence that shows any of the options reduce SSIs. Ms. Benton says getting patients to follow the directives to wash and to use proper application techniques at home is a challenge, but clearly written directives, automated text message reminders and voicemails left by staff can help improve compliance. OSM J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 4 7

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