Presurgical Hand Antisepsis: Concepts and Current Habits of Veterinary Surgeons

TY - JOUR

T1 - Presurgical Hand Antisepsis

T2 - Concepts and Current Habits of Veterinary Surgeons

AU - Verwilghen, D.

AU - Grulke, S.

AU - Kampf, G.

PY - 2011/7/1

Y1 - 2011/7/1

N2 - Objective: To assess current habits for surgical hand preparation among veterinary surgical specialists and to compare data with current guidelines for hand asepsis techniques. Study design: Survey of veterinary surgical specialists. Sample Population: Diplomates of the American (ACVS) and European Colleges of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVS). Methods: An internet-based survey of hand preparation methods before surgical procedures was conducted of 1300 listed ACVS and ECVS Diplomates. Results: A 42.6% response rate was obtained. Approximately, 80% of respondents use disinfecting soaps as a primary method for hand antisepsis. Of those, 81% use chlorhexidine-based scrubs and 7% use a neutral soap followed by a hydroalcoholic solution. Conclusions: Contrary to current recommendations of the World Health Organization and scientific evidence supporting use of hydro-alcoholic rubs for presurgical hand preparation, veterinary surgical specialists still use surgical scrub solutions containing disinfecting soaps.

AB - Objective: To assess current habits for surgical hand preparation among veterinary surgical specialists and to compare data with current guidelines for hand asepsis techniques. Study design: Survey of veterinary surgical specialists. Sample Population: Diplomates of the American (ACVS) and European Colleges of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVS). Methods: An internet-based survey of hand preparation methods before surgical procedures was conducted of 1300 listed ACVS and ECVS Diplomates. Results: A 42.6% response rate was obtained. Approximately, 80% of respondents use disinfecting soaps as a primary method for hand antisepsis. Of those, 81% use chlorhexidine-based scrubs and 7% use a neutral soap followed by a hydroalcoholic solution. Conclusions: Contrary to current recommendations of the World Health Organization and scientific evidence supporting use of hydro-alcoholic rubs for presurgical hand preparation, veterinary surgical specialists still use surgical scrub solutions containing disinfecting soaps.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79960113456&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/j.1532-950x.2011.00846.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1532-950x.2011.00846.x

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 21736594

AN - SCOPUS:79960113456

SN - 0161-3499

VL - 40

SP - 515

EP - 521

JO - Veterinary Surgery

JF - Veterinary Surgery

IS - 5

ER -