with a focus on the size of the extremities. When using CHG applica-
tion sticks, don't assume the same number of sticks will work for
each patient. "Prepping a former football player for a shoulder
arthroscopy will require more solution than what's needed for a 70-
year-old woman," says Mr. Hixson.
That seems obvious, but he's seen a lot of nurses try to stretch the
contents of a single applicator instead of reaching for another one
because they didn't properly account for differences in body types.
That shouldn't happen. Always use the amount of prepping solution
needed to adequately cover the area around the surgical site.
• Avoid shortcuts. In the heat of the moment or when pressed for
time, staff might engage in seemingly harmless workarounds that
could jeopardize patients. A nurse who is prepping the abdomen
might reach across the patient, instead of walking around the table,
without realizing their scrubs are contaminating the prep site.
Mr. Hixson says proper and effective skin prepping is ultimately
about eliminating variables, streamlining the process wherever possi-
ble and getting everybody on the same page to maintain a laser-focus
on proper patient care. "Everyone in the OR has the same intention,"
says Dr. Saleh. "Nobody wants infections to occur in their patients."
Standardizing your prepping products and protocols will help them
meet that universal goal.
OSM
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