Journal of perioperative practice
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Surgical hand antisepsis is routinely carried out prior to undertaking invasive procedures in an attempt to reduce surgical site infection. There are a number of components within hand antisepsis which include the choice of antiseptic agent, the method of application and the duration of the process. ⋯ While a traditional scrub using chlorhexidine gluconate remains the preferred method of antisepsis, 20% of practitioners use alcohol rubs for repeated cases. Compliance with recommended guidelines is patchy (for example, only 3% of practitioners scrub for the recommended time of two minutes) and guidelines need to address more issues.
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Inadvertent hypothermia is a condition prevalent within the perioperative setting, since it has been estimated that as many as 70% of surgical patients suffer some degree of hypothermia (Litwack 1995, cited in Arndt 1999). This article will focus primarily on increasing the practitioner's awareness of patient risk and will discuss preventative measures. It will also provide the required underpinning knowledge to implement quality patient care.
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The expansion of support staff roles throughout the NHS was identified as a key element in the drive for service improvements set out in the NHS plan (Department of Health 2000). However, while examination of the literature identified the opinions of professional representative bodies (Perioperative Care Collaborative 2002a&b), little published data is available of the opinions of staff 'on the shop floor'.
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The structure of theatre management should ensure that the patient receives the most appropriate care available, with every team member knowing their role and their expected contribution in order to meet the needs of the patient. Inter-professional healthcare is an integral feature of the NHS and this article will focus on the interaction and teamwork experienced in the theatre department between qualified nurses and qualified operating department practitioners (ODPs) and the perceived differences and similarities in their roles both historically and in future practice. Taylor and Campbell (1999) state the operating department is unique in that various members of the multidisciplinary teams are all present at the same time and work together for the successful completion of the perioperative period of care. Anonymous clinical examples have been used to highlight certain points and to illustrate the differing roles of the perioperative staff.