Evaluation of surgical scrub methods for large animal surgeons

P Y. Wan
James T. Blackford
David A. Bemis
Barton W. Rohrbach Dr., University of Tennessee - Knoxville
D E. Knoll
M K. Provenza

Abstract

Nine veterinarians scrubbed their hands on 8 separate occasions using either povidone iodine or chlorhexidine gluconate. A 5 min scrub using either a 1-brush or 2-brush technique used in both clean and dirty operations were evaluated by taking glove juice samples before scrubbing, immediately after scrubbing, and 30, 60, 90, and 120 min after scrubbing. All scrub procedures provided an adequate percent reduction in c.f.u. during the 2 h sampling period. The number of c.f.u. immediately after scrubbing were significantly lower than prescrub. At 120 min, there were significantly fewer c.f.u. than prescrub, but there were more than immediately after scrubbing. No significant difference in reduction in c.f.u. were detected between 1-brush and 2-brush techniques. Both chlorhexidine and povidone iodine scrub solutions adequately reduced bacterial colony counts for 120 min after scrubbing regardless of the amount of contamination before skin preparation. It is concluded that surgeons may use either chlorhexidine or povidone iodine for antiseptic preparation of their hands before surgery and that a 2-brush technique is not necessary.