Calif., uses alcohol-based antiseptic on everyone who gets an incision,
not just those who test positive through screening, says Nina
Deatherage, RN, BSN, CIC, the infection control lead. "It took a while
to get the surgeons to approve that we will be doing this to their
patients as part of the pre-op bundle," she says.
They administer the alcohol-based antiseptic 3 times to patients within
the hour before surgery, says Ms. Deatherage. "It's like painting a wall,"
she says. "Three rolls and you know you have covered every spot."
Ms. Deatherage adds that she was sold on the antiseptic's pleasant
smell. And, she should know, having tested it out on her own nasal
cavity. "My work partner and I used it twice a day for a week on our-
selves," she says. "The smell was nice, and we had no ill effects what-
soever. I hear patients say "Oh, this is pleasant!'"
Sure, sticking a swab up a patient's nose is more challenging than
having them pump a bottle of hand antiseptic, but it is worth the
effort. In fact, according to Ms. Barnes, further studies are consider-
ing the worth of continuing nasal decolonization postoperatively,
when the patient leaves the facility, and the potential benefits of hav-
ing an entire surgical team undergo the process before surgery.
OSM
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