of post-op infections.
He seals incisions with
topical glue and covers
the wound area with
an occlusive dressing,
which remains in place
for a week following
surgery to keep the
area sterile and to pro-
tect the surgical site from contaminants that can cause infection.
5. Post-op diligence
The challenge with outpatient surgery is the lack of monitoring once
the patient leaves the facility and the potential risk for self-inoculation
once the patient is home. If the patient who is colonized with S.
aureus contaminates his hands from the nose and touches the wound
during a dressing change, it's possible he's self-colonizing the wound
area.
To lower the risk of post-discharge infection, Dr. Sporer gives his
patients another dose of oral antibiotic before discharge and sends
them home with a dose of TXA. He sends patients with a high body-
mass index (over 40 BMI) home with a 7-day course of antibiotics.
OSM
8 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 • J U L Y 2 0 1 9
"There's no doubt that
decolonizing the nose
before surgery lowers
the risk of infection."
— Scott Sporer, MD
