Surgical Scrubs – Its Importance and Purpose

Surgical Scrubs – Its Importance and Purpose

Before the middle of the nineteenth century, the majority of people receiving surgery did not survive. At London hospitals, death rates of around 80% were common. 

Surgeons used bare hands and non-sterile tools while wearing dark, dirty frock jackets. Dried blood spots were thought to be a sign of maturity. Nobody realised at the time that bacteria and other microbes were to blame for the high death rate. The procedure was successful, but the patient died, according to most reports. When the links between microbes and illnesses became understood, surgeons began cleansing their hands, sterilising their tools, and donning gowns over their street clothing.

Currently, highly specific cleanliness requirements govern clothes in the operating room and the limited operation area. To safeguard perioperative employees and to reduce microbial contamination of surgical wounds, clean surgical scrubs, sterile surgical gowns, and helmets are used. Despite this, surgical site infections (SSI) continue to be among the most prevalent healthcare-related infections (HAIs) and are associated with a significant cost burden.

The Importance of Surgical Scrubs

Surgical scrubs can help to limit the transmission of pathogens present on the skin and on garments worn outside the operating room, as well as reduce the occurrence of surgical site infections. Selecting appropriate staff transfer clothes and setting rules are critical elements in reducing microbiological transmission and increasing patient safety.

How Can Surgical Scrubs Prevent Surgical Site Infections?

Infections at the surgical site arise on the body portion where the operation was performed. These are infections that occur as a direct effect of surgery. The CDC classifies surgical site infections as follows:

• Superficial incisional SSI – an infection that arises solely in the skin around the incision.
• Deep incisional SSI is an infection that arises in the muscle and surrounding tissues under the incision.
• Organ SSI – infection caused by surgery in any place other than the skin, muscle, and tissue involved.

Proper Way of Wearing Surgical Scrubs

While patients can lower their risk factors, such as quitting smoking before surgery, it is still critical that the surgical team be adequately sanitised before entering the operating room. This can be accomplished by adhering to best-practice surgical scrub-up protocols. With so many competing opinions, we met with a surgical team from a South African public hospital to develop a best-practice surgical scrub-up technique.

The scrub-up should commence with a comprehensive antimicrobial soap wash of the arms and elbows followed by thorough cleaning beneath the fingernails using a nail file. A rigours scrub is then required, according to hospital requirements, using a scrubbing brush or abrasive sponge. This scrub should begin at the tips of the fingers and work its way up beyond the elbows. After completing the preceding technique, repeat the operation on the opposite arm. The surgical scrub-up should continue for at least five minutes to ensure that the antibacterial soap is effective and that no regions are overlooked.

While the technique is vital, environmental variables might also affect the efficiency of the surgical scrub-up operation. For example, it is critical that the scrub-up trough employed has hands-free washing mechanisms or elbow-operated valves to reduce re-contamination. Also, the antiseptic soap used should be from a reputed company and adhere to medical criteria. After the scrub-up operation, wash your hands with a waterless alcohol-based hand massage.

This should be quick-acting and quick-drying. It is also critical to keep the surrounding environment clean. Utilizing a scrub-up trough constructed of high-quality stainless steel can help to keep the scrub-up environment clean and hygienic.

Surgeons can help reduce the risk of Surgical Site Infections beyond the inherent patient-related hazards associated with surgery by following a surgical scrub-up protocol that includes the items listed above.