ganisms? Make sure nurs-
es and other staff mem-
bers who work at the
perimeter of the OR wear
long-sleeved scrub jackets
(and keep them buttoned
or zipped!) to prevent
contamination of the ster-
ile field by skin that sheds
from bare arms. Hair folli-
cles are highly colonized
with bacteria, so cover all
hair, ears and the back of
the neck
• Surface disinfection.
C. diff survives on sur-
faces for 35 to 200 days
and MRSA for 14 to 300
days. To eradicate bacte-
ria from OR surfaces, use
cleaning and disinfectant
products with fast dry times in order to increase cleaning compliance.
Speed is important when preparing ORs for the next case, but make
sure staff allow disinfectants to remain on surfaces for the manufac-
turer-recommended dry time.
• Antimicrobial prophylaxis. Pre-op antibiotics should be given
within 60 minutes of incision time, dosed appropriately based on the
patient's BMI and re-dosed if the surgical time exceeds 2 half-lives of
the medication.
6 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 • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8
• BRINGING CLOSURE Antimicrobial sutures have been shown to reduce
SSI rates by 30%, and the CDC, WHO and American College of Surgeons rec-
ommend their use.
