Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out the immediate and residual antibacterial effects of the two preoperative skin preparation procedures most commonly used in the operating room of this selected hospital.

This study was conducted on one hundred selected surgical patients from the general medical and surgical units of this hospital. The preoperative skin preparation Procedure A (ether-alcohol-tincture of zephiran) was compared with the preoperative skin preparation Procedure B (3 per cent hexachlorophene solution). Data for the comparison were gathered by taking four cultures at specified times. The cultures were taken from the operative sites on the surgical patients: (1) upon their admittance to the hospital before preoperative preparation was done; (2) at the time the skin incision was made; (3) at the time the skin incision was closed; and (4) at the time of stitch removal if any exudate was present.

The results from the cultures revealed that both Procedures A and Procedure B were very similar in their antibacterial effectiveness. On approximately four-fifths of the one hundred patients studied no bacteria were found on the skin immediately following either procedure. There seemed to be no significant difference in the residual antibacterial effects during surgery between the two procedures. Almost half of the patients had significant bacterial contamination of the operative area from the time the skin incision was made to the time the skin incision was closed in both procedures.

Based on the findings of this study, it was suggested that consideration be given to conducting a study or studies to find the source of wound contamination other than the skin preparation procedures. It was also suggested that consideration be given to using the procedure that is the simplest to apply and is the least hazardous to patients and operating room personnel.

LLU Discipline

Nursing

Department

Nursing

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

L. Lucile Lewis

Second Advisor

Charles E. Winter

Third Advisor

R. Maureen Maxwell

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1960

Date (Title Page)

6-1960

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Preoperative Care

Type

Thesis

Page Count

vii; 60

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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