During time outs, surgeons would encourage any new OR team mem-
bers to self-apply.
Daily applications, amazing results
We used a cotton swab and a multi-dose dispensing dropper bottle to
apply the nasal antiseptic to patients at 3 times during the period
7 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A R C H 2 0 1 7
What's hiding in
patients' noses?
Bacteria that can
spread infection.
The nose is a reser-
voir for bacteria that
escape typical
hygiene protocols
such as hand washing. The nose is the main ecological niche where
Staphylococcus aureus resides in human beings. About 80% of the
people who experience surgical-site infections are nasal carriers of
S. aureus.
Hand-to-nose contact occurs about every 4 minutes on average
(that's 250 times throughout the day), often compromising hand
hygiene and risking contamination. When you cover your mouth
when you cough or sneeze, you recolonize your hands. Nasal anti-
septics address the well-known hand-to-nose-to-hand cycle of
inoculation and contamination involving the nasal bacterial repos-
itory.
— Anita Mullen, RN, BSN
NASAL BACTERIA
The Nose
Knows
• HIDING SPOT The primary reservoir for Staphylococcus aureus is the vestibule of the nose.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
