ies. Here are 7 reader-supplied tips to support
your culture of safety.
• Pick one. There are only 2 acceptable
ways to mark the site — the surgeon's initials
(unless they're NO) or the word YES.
• Use waterproof ink. Use an indelible
marker to mark the site to ensure that the
pre-op skin prep solution doesn't wash away
the mark.
• Not the time for individual expression.
Surgical site marking is not a time to draw
cutesy symbols and squiggly lines — those
marks will only confuse the surgical team
when they're confirming where the cut should
be made.
• Adopt a "no-mark, no-surgery" policy.
Don't let anybody but the surgeon mark the
operative site before the induction of anesthe-
sia. No sedation or procedure can begin
before the surgeon arrives.
• X does not mark the spot. Do not mark
non-procedure sides or sites with an X, which
can easily be mistaken for the surgical site.
The unnecessary marking could be misinter-
preted as a warning indicating the non-opera-
tive site or as the place to cut. Avoid either
scenario.
• When the surgical site is unmarkable.
For certain procedures, you can't mark the
skin at a surgical site (examples: dental or
A P R I L 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 4 5
ChloraPrep™
is
a
trademark
of
Becton,
Dickinson
and
Company.
Proven
to
resist
all
preps,
including
ChloraPrep
™
XL
Prep
Resistant
Ink
viscotcs@viscot.com
•
800.221.0658
•
www.viscot.com
Get a sample of the
CHG compatible
marker that's
turning
heads
P
