Duration of surgical hand scrub in orthopaedic surgeries

Abstract

A prospective study based at a tertiary hospital involving orthopedic surgeons. The study was aimed at assessing the required duration of surgical hand scrub to prevent infections. The surgeons scrubbed at sink equipped with timers, and used a scrub protocol based on existing guidelines. They were observed for the quality of their surgical hand scrubs for various types of surgeries and duration. Post-operatively hand swab culture of surgeon’s hands was done and patients followed up for any surgical site infections. The average scrub time of the orthopedic surgeons was found to be 2mins 40 secs. It was observed that there was no growth on culture when surgical hand scrub time was more than 2minute 20seconds.There was just one incidence of infected implant and there was no evidence of infections post-operatively in all of the remaining patients. It was also noted that the surgeons scrubbed for a longer duration for more complex surgeries. In conclusion, it is our opinion that a surgical hand scrub for 2minutes and 30 seconds significantly reduced the risk of transmission of infective pathogens in orthopedic surgeries. There is a need for creating awareness and educating young surgeons with regards to the importance of surgical hand scrub.