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I N F E C T I O N
P R E V E N T I O N
TRIED AND TRUE There's still a role for povidone-iodine formulations in skin prepping. In fact, for eye surgeries they're the only choice.
Which Skin Prep Is Best?
What we learned from the available evidence on antiseptic preps.
Judith R. Garcia,
MHSS, MS, BSN, RN, CNOR Columbus, Ohio
Every surgical nurse should understand the importance of preoperative skin antisepsis and adhering to the clinical guidelines governing its practice. Properly prepping the skin around the surgical site should be a top priority for OR staff, especially since it's a relatively inexpensive and easy-to-implement infection prevention effort. But, out of all of the products a facility may have on hand, which skin prep agent works the best? Consumed by that question, my nursing colleagues and I hit the books. Here's what we found out.