Hand Hygiene Practices in Surgery: What Do Surgeons Use to Clean Their Hands?

Surgeons, like any other healthcare professionals, prioritize hand hygiene to ensure the safety and well-being of their patients. To maintain sterility and prevent infection, surgeons engage in rigorous hand washing practices, which can be quite extensive, especially in operating rooms. Let's explore the various products and procedures used to prepare a surgeon’s hands for performing surgery.

Surgical Scrubs and Antimicrobial Preparations

For a general pre-surgical scrub, surgeons typically use specialized surgical scrubs that are embedded within a scrub sponge. This disposable sponge contains disinfectants like Betadine or chlorhexidine, ensuring that their hands are sanitized to the highest standards. If the hands are already clean but require further preparation for surgery, another option is the Avagard Surgical Hand Antiseptic, which combines chlorhexidine and alcohol.

The Scrubbing Process

The process of scrubbing in is both meticulous and time-consuming. It begins with running the hands and arms under water, leading up to the elbows. A soap-infused sponge is then used to thoroughly scrub the hands, including each side of every finger and under the nails, for a period of 3 to 5 minutes. Subsequent scrubs may be shorter, typically 2 to 3 minutes, but these can vary depending on the specific protocol.

Proper Technique and Hygiene

Apply the surgical scrub to the sponge and start scrubbing, ensuring you cover all surfaces of the hands and arms up to the elbows.

Keep your hands above your elbows while scrubbing to ensure that water runs toward the elbows and into the sink, not the other way around.

Pay special attention to the areas between the fingers, under the nails, and the creases in the palms and wrists.

Do not touch the sponge to your arms after it has touched your fingers; instead, use it to scrub your fingers, hold the sponge away from your body, and ensure the water runs off your elbows to avoid cross-contamination.

Rinsing and Drying

After thorough scrubbing, rinse the hands and make sure the water flows down the arms and off the elbows. This process can feel quite refreshing! After rinsing, dry your hands and arms using a disposable towel, ensuring you dry each side of the hands and arms separately. You might use half of the towel to dry one hand and the other half for the other hand. This step ensures that both hands are completely dry before donning sterile gloves.

Understanding Common Surgical Scrubs

Some surgical scrubs, such as Betadine and Hibiclens, are well-known for their antimicrobial properties. Betadine is a brand name for an iodine-based soap, while Hibiclens is a chlorhexidine-based product. These preparations are specifically designed for use in sterile environments and are not available in regular over-the-counter stores, highlighting their importance in maintaining the highest standards of hygiene during surgical procedures.

Hygiene Practices Outside of Operations

When not in the operating room, surgeons typically use regular hand soaps, which may be either liquid or bar soaps. Liquid soaps are often preferred for their convenience and ease of maintaining cleanliness. During major pre-operative preparations, however, the use of specific antimicrobial scrubs is mandatory to ensure that hands are completely disinfected before the procedure.

Understanding the importance and specifics of surgical hand hygiene practices is critical for anyone working in the medical field. Proper and thorough hand washing not only protects the patient but also prevents the spread of infections within the healthcare environment.

References:

NHS (UK) on Antibiotic Resistance CDC Guidelines for Surgical Hand Hygiene ASA Hand Hygiene Guidelines