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How Should Adults Be Pre-Surgical Skin Cleansing?
How can we prepare our skin for surgery before surgery? In this article, we will explain the body cleaning that should be done before surgical intervention. Skin cleansing is essential to help reduce the risk of infection. We recommend that you review and follow the steps below to avoid infection…
First of all, it should be noted that you should be careful to give yourself enough time to follow each step. You will be given a washing liquid containing Chlorhexidine by the healthcare professionals before or after the surgeries.
This chlorhexidine is one of the most effective germicides known. It kills viruses and fungi in the application area as well as microbes (bacteria) and does not harm living tissue while doing this. If this product is not given by healthcare professionals, you can also obtain it from the pharmacy by consulting your doctor. Now we move on to all the stages of pre-operative skin cleansing.
Do Not Wax or Shave for Pre-Surgery Skin Cleansing!
Necessary materials; Chlorhexidine soap and a clean washcloth or new body sponge, clean towel, clean bedding and pajamas.
What to do / not to do 3 days before the surgery; Do not shave or wax the area and surrounding area where you will be operated.
What to do the night before the surgery (after 18:00);
- Take a shower or bath using your regular soap and shampoo, but do not shave the surgical area.
- Turn off or reduce the water.
- Wet a clean washcloth and open the KLORHEXIDIN soap. Do not apply soap directly to your face, head or genital area while using soap. Apply chlorhexidine soap to the washcloth and wash your skin from neck to toe. You should have used about half of the soap in the bottle. You will use the rest the morning of your surgery.
- Leave the KLORHEXIDIN soap on your skin for 1 minute, so that it has the opportunity to penetrate your skin.
- After a minute, rinse your body with warm water, but never brush. Light contact with the genital area will be best while rinsing, avoid harsh interventions.
- Dry your skin with a clean towel.
- Do not use lotions, creams, powders, perfumes or make-up after showering or bathing.
- Wear clean pajamas and sleep on a clean bedding.
Avoid Sweating Before Surgery!
We need to clean the skin when we wake up in the morning just before the surgical intervention. So, how should this care be? Here are the necessary materials, KLORHEXIDIN soap and a clean cloth or new body sponge. In addition to these, clean towels, underwear and clothes should be available as we need to use clean products when we get out of the shower.
The stages of skin cleansing that you will do on the morning of the surgery at home (2 hours before the surgery);
- Follow all steps 1 to 8 mentioned above.
- Avoid anything that can make you sweat before surgery. Because your skin should be clean and ready for surgery.
On the morning of surgery in the hospital or office, healthcare professionals may apply a sterile medication to your nose just before surgery. This medicine is administered after surgery to kill nasal germs that may cause infection in your surgical area. The sterile medication may leave a brown stain inside your nose, but this brown stain will disappear when you blow your nose after surgery.
Before surgical intervention, skin cleansing is a necessary practice, but it would be more appropriate to consult your doctor and provide the necessary materials. Because if you are allergic to chlorhexidine or any other ingredient in chlorhexidine soap, it would be better not to use it. If you notice redness, rash or itching after using KLORHEXIDIN soap, rinse it immediately and do not use it again. Then when you go to the hospital or practice for surgery, tell your healthcare team about your allergies. Additionally, if you have an ostomy bag, do not use Chlorhexidine soap on the skin under your bag system.