M A Y 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 9
Y
ou're probably aware that most surgical site infections are
caused by patients' microbial skin flora flaking into surgical
wounds. You also know skin prepping eliminates resident
and transient microbes on the body's first line of defense
against infection and prevents the growth of microorgan-
isms around the incision site. But are you certain your staff applies pre-
op skin prep solutions correctly and allows enough time for them to
dry? Don't count on it. National statistics show that surgical teams fol-
low proper application instructions and allow for adequate dry times in
fewer than half of all cases.
You need to ensure your staff isn't part of that troubling trend, and
Helen Johnson, MD | Vero Beach, Fla.
Solving the Surprising Skin Prep Problem
Believe it or not, there's a good chance your staff isn't complying with
proper application protocols.
SKIN IN THE GAME Prepping is the first defense against SSIs, which account for about 157,500 infections and $3.2 billion in
healthcare costs each year.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR