Pre-operative skin preparation on surgical wards

Abstract

Preoperative skin preparation aims to reduce the risk of surgical wound infection, the cost of which may be high for both the patient and hospital. A descriptive study was designed to examine methods of preoperative skin preparation on general surgical wards, the research question being: Are nursing practices related to preoperative skin preparation based on scientific research findings? Two aspects of the procedure were investigated, namely preoperative depilation and whole body cleansing /disinfection. Data was collected by interviewing qualified nurses working on general surgical wards. Results suggest that recommended practices feature poorly in the care routines related to the aspects of preoperative skin preparation examined. Nursing interventions, as identified by this study, are not only likely to fail in achieving their aim, but are possibly subjecting patients to greater risk of postoperative infection. The study includes an analysis of factors which seemingly influence methods of skin preparation employed.