Surgical scrub

The warm, moist conditions inside surgical gloves provide an ideal environment for the rapid growth of microorganisms. Scrubbing with antiseptics before beginning surgical procedures will help prevent this rapid growth of microorganisms for a period of time and will reduce the risk of infections to the client if the gloves develop holes, tears, or nicks during the procedure.

As discussed in the Aseptic Technique module of this course, antiseptic agents are used in surgical scrub because they inhibit the growth and development of microorganisms and are safe for use on the skin. A 3- to 5-minute surgical scrub with an antiseptic (such as chlorhexidine or an iodophor) and running water is recommended before a surgical procedure.

If running water
is not available...

When performing surgical scrub, remember that:

• Warm water makes antiseptics and soap work more effectively, while very hot water removes more of the protective oils from the skin. Therefore, washing with very hot water should be avoided.
• Your hands--more than any other part of your arms--must be as clean as possible. Therefore, it is important to hold your hands above the level of your elbow to allow the water to flow from your hands (the area of least contamination) to your forearms (the area of most contamination). Otherwise, water may splash onto the unscrubbed portions of your arms and run down over the scrubbed portions, which would contaminate them.
• Scrubbing for at least 3-5 minutes allows adequate time to remove, inhibit, or kill as many microorganisms as possible.

NOTE:
Microorganisms grow and multiply in standing water. You should not scrub your hands in a basin that contains standing water, even if an antiseptic solution (such as Dettol or Savlon) is added.

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