4 4 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • F E B R U A R U Y 2 0 1 8
For the first time in 18 years, the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention updated its Guideline for
Prevention of Surgical Site Infection
(osmag.net/3xYKjP). The CDC's
new and updated recommendations
address pre-op bathing, skin prep-
ping, patient warming, glucose man-
agement and more. Researchers
looked at more than 170 high-quali-
ty studies to issue the recommenda-
tions. Here are 9 takeaways:
• Patients should shower or
bathe their entire body with soap (antimicrobial or non-antimicro-
bial) or an antiseptic agent on at least the night before surgery.
• Patients should receive antimicrobial prophylaxis before
cesarean delivery.
• Skin prep in the OR should be done with an alcohol-based
agent, unless contraindicated.
• For clean and clean-contaminated procedures, additional pro-
phylactic antimicrobial agent doses should not be administered
after the surgical incision is closed in the OR, even when a drain
is being used.
• Topical antimicrobial agents should not be applied to the sur-
gical incision.
• During surgery, patients' blood glucose levels should be less
than 200 mg/dL throughout the operation.
NEW RULES
CDC Updates SSI-Prevention Guidelines
• ASEPTIC TECHNIQUE It's estimated that about
half of SSIs are deemed preventable using evidence-
based strategies.