Expensive to treat and hazardous to patients, surgical site infections must be prevented.
Surgical site infections (SSIs) are among the most common healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The average SSI costs a hospital approximately $21,000 and accounts for over 30 percent of all HAIs[1].
Prevantics® Maxi Swabstick – featuring PDI’s proprietary formulation of 3.15 percent chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) and 70 percent isopropyl alcohol (IPA) formulation – is a single-step, broad-spectrum antiseptic that significantly reduces the number of microorganisms on intact skin, including the skin bacteria that potentially cause SSIs. It is indicated for patient preoperative skin preparation, and it complies with evidence-based practices and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Association for Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN).
Prevantics Maxi Swabstick provides continuous antimicrobial activity for up to seven days for rapid microbial reduction. It is ideal for body contours, such as joints and between toes and fingers. Additionally, its foam head is pre-saturated for easy application, and the intuitive swabstick format keeps clinicians’ gloved hands away from prep sites. Prevantics Maxi Swabstick contains 5.1 mL of the CHG/IPA solution and can cover a 7×7 square inch area for preoperative preparation. Clinicians should scrub a patient’s skin with one side of the Prevantics Maxi Swabstick for 60 seconds, flip the swabstick, and scrub for an additional 60 seconds with the unused side before allowing the patient’s skin to dry for 90 seconds.
Prevantics Maxi Swabstick does not contain a tinted solution, and some end users, such as clinicians, nurses and surgical technologists, may object to using a non-tinted preoperative skin preparation product. Supply chain executives should inquire whether the use of a tinted product is a true clinical requirement or simply a clinician preference. For example, some clinicians like to see the outline of the prepped area of skin. While Prevantics Maxi Swabstick does not contain a tint, CHG solution does leave a slight sheen indicating that the area has been prepped. If clinicians are prepping the skin themselves, they will know the outline and may not require tint.
Supply chain executives should also let clinicians know that Prevantics Maxi Swabstick may be more cost effective than other preoperative skin preparation products, which may reduce operational supply costs.
Supply chain managers, who would like to learn more about how to prevent SSIs and how PDI can help, should visit pdihc.com.
[1] Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/hai, electronically accessed April 25, 2016.