3 4 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7
A
bout one-third of your
patients are carriers of
Staphylococcus
aureus. They likely
don't know it. And nei-
ther do you. But their nose knows.
That's right. The nose has been long
known to be a primary reservoir of S.
aureus. Patients who carry staph bacte-
ria in their nares are at increased risk
for surgical site infections that are
The Nose Knows:
Stop Staph
Where It Lurks
For a small cost, nasal
decolonization can pack a big
punch in the fight against SSIs.
Daniel Cook | Executive Editor
• THE NOSE HAS IT Staphylococcus aureus is commonly carried in
the nasal passages.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
caused by this bacteria. Thanks to the
recent development of several low-cost
nasal decolonization options, you can
screen, swab and sanitize patients'
nares before surgery in order reduce
the risk of post-op infection. Is this
ounce of SSI prevention worth a pound
of cure?
• Screen select patients. Should
you screen every patient for S.
aureus? That might not be necessary.
"You have to consider the types of sur-
geries you're performing, the patients