Effectiveness of the Closed Method Utilizing Iodophors in the Degermination of Hands and Arms of the Surgical Team and Operative Sites

Earl Belle Smith

letter

. 1980 Mar;72(3):205–207.

Effectiveness of the Closed Method Utilizing Iodophors in the Degermination of Hands and Arms of the Surgical Team and Operative Sites

Earl Belle Smith

PMCID: PMC2552547 PMID: 7392065

Abstract

A closed method utilizing the E-Z Prep Tray and the E-Z Scrub with iodophors is an effective means of degerming the hands and arms of surgical team members and the patients' operative sites. Fifty unselected surgical cases were evaluated bacteriologically, pre-preparation, post-preparation, and post-operatively. The data indicated that bacterial colony counts decreased, and the postoperative wound infection rate decreased to two percent.