Pre-Operative Skin Preparation: A Comparative Study of Three Different Protocols.

Abstract

This study includes a clinical and cost comparison of three per operative skin preparation protocols (razor, depilatory cream, on depilation) in 150 patients undergoing clean surgical operation in North Surgical Ward. The clinical research protocol included an evaluation of depilatory effect, skin integrity after depilation and postoperative wound infection. The cost comparison was performed by keeping a record of material used in three preoperative protocols. The clinical evaluation revealed that depilation cream protocol is appropriate method to depilate patients. The razor shaving method should be eliminated from clinical practice due to associated increased risk of postoperative wound infection. Cost calculation revealed that cream protocol is not too much costly as compared to shaving. Although changing to cream protocols may be associated with increase in cost compared to razor method, in the long term it is cost saving. The superiority of this protocol is due to decreased incidence of postoperative wound infections as compared to that associated with shaving. In case of no depilation protocol infection rate is also less than shaving. On the basis of this finding it is considered that hair removal protocol should be used only when that hair wound interfere with performance of operations.