Perioperative hair removal in the twenty-first century: utilizing an innovative vacuum-assisted technology to safely expedite hair removal prior to surgery
Background Perioperative hair removal using clippers requires lengthy cleanup to remove loose hairs contaminating the operative field. We compared the amount of hair debris and associated microbiologic contamination produced during clipping of surgical sites using standard surgical clippers (SSC)...
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| Format: | Article |
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Elsevier
2016
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/50773/ |
| _version_ | 1848798337159921664 |
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| author | Edmiston, Charles E. Griggs, Russell K. Tanner, Judith Spencer, Maureen Seabrook, Gary R. Leaper, David |
| author_facet | Edmiston, Charles E. Griggs, Russell K. Tanner, Judith Spencer, Maureen Seabrook, Gary R. Leaper, David |
| author_sort | Edmiston, Charles E. |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Background
Perioperative hair removal using clippers requires lengthy cleanup to remove loose hairs contaminating the operative field. We compared the amount of hair debris and associated microbiologic contamination produced during clipping of surgical sites using standard surgical clippers (SSC) or clippers fitted with a vacuum-assisted hair collection device (SCVAD).
Methods
Trained nurses conducted bilateral hair clipping of the chest and groin of 18 male subjects using SSC or SCVAD. Before and during clipping, measurements of particulate matter and bacterial contamination were evaluated on settling plates placed next to each subject's chest and groin. Skin condition after clipping and total clipping/cleanup times were compared between SSC and SCVAD.
Results
The microbial burden recovered from residual hair during cleanup in the SSC group was 3.9 log10 CFU and 4.6 log10 CFU from respective, chest, and groin areas. Use of the SCVAD resulted in a significant (P < .001) reduction in both residual hair and microbial contamination within the operative field compared with SSC.
Conclusions
Use of SCVAD resulted in significant (P < .001) reduction in total time required to clip and clean up residual hair contaminating the operative field compared with standard practice (ie, SSC), eliminating the need to physically remove dispersed hairs, which can harbor a significant microbial burden, from within the operative field. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T20:18:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-50773 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T20:18:10Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-507732020-05-04T18:18:38Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/50773/ Perioperative hair removal in the twenty-first century: utilizing an innovative vacuum-assisted technology to safely expedite hair removal prior to surgery Edmiston, Charles E. Griggs, Russell K. Tanner, Judith Spencer, Maureen Seabrook, Gary R. Leaper, David Background Perioperative hair removal using clippers requires lengthy cleanup to remove loose hairs contaminating the operative field. We compared the amount of hair debris and associated microbiologic contamination produced during clipping of surgical sites using standard surgical clippers (SSC) or clippers fitted with a vacuum-assisted hair collection device (SCVAD). Methods Trained nurses conducted bilateral hair clipping of the chest and groin of 18 male subjects using SSC or SCVAD. Before and during clipping, measurements of particulate matter and bacterial contamination were evaluated on settling plates placed next to each subject's chest and groin. Skin condition after clipping and total clipping/cleanup times were compared between SSC and SCVAD. Results The microbial burden recovered from residual hair during cleanup in the SSC group was 3.9 log10 CFU and 4.6 log10 CFU from respective, chest, and groin areas. Use of the SCVAD resulted in a significant (P < .001) reduction in both residual hair and microbial contamination within the operative field compared with SSC. Conclusions Use of SCVAD resulted in significant (P < .001) reduction in total time required to clip and clean up residual hair contaminating the operative field compared with standard practice (ie, SSC), eliminating the need to physically remove dispersed hairs, which can harbor a significant microbial burden, from within the operative field. Elsevier 2016-12-01 Article PeerReviewed Edmiston, Charles E., Griggs, Russell K., Tanner, Judith, Spencer, Maureen, Seabrook, Gary R. and Leaper, David (2016) Perioperative hair removal in the twenty-first century: utilizing an innovative vacuum-assisted technology to safely expedite hair removal prior to surgery. American Journal of Infection Control, 44 (12). pp. 1639-1644. ISSN 1527-3296 Postoperative wound infection; Surgical clippers; Microbial bioburden; Transepidermal water loss https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196655316304886?_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_origin=gateway&_docanchor=&md5=b8429449ccfc9c30159a5f9aeaa92ffb doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2016.03.071 doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2016.03.071 |
| spellingShingle | Postoperative wound infection; Surgical clippers; Microbial bioburden; Transepidermal water loss Edmiston, Charles E. Griggs, Russell K. Tanner, Judith Spencer, Maureen Seabrook, Gary R. Leaper, David Perioperative hair removal in the twenty-first century: utilizing an innovative vacuum-assisted technology to safely expedite hair removal prior to surgery |
| title | Perioperative hair removal in the twenty-first century: utilizing an innovative vacuum-assisted technology to safely expedite hair removal prior to surgery |
| title_full | Perioperative hair removal in the twenty-first century: utilizing an innovative vacuum-assisted technology to safely expedite hair removal prior to surgery |
| title_fullStr | Perioperative hair removal in the twenty-first century: utilizing an innovative vacuum-assisted technology to safely expedite hair removal prior to surgery |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perioperative hair removal in the twenty-first century: utilizing an innovative vacuum-assisted technology to safely expedite hair removal prior to surgery |
| title_short | Perioperative hair removal in the twenty-first century: utilizing an innovative vacuum-assisted technology to safely expedite hair removal prior to surgery |
| title_sort | perioperative hair removal in the twenty-first century: utilizing an innovative vacuum-assisted technology to safely expedite hair removal prior to surgery |
| topic | Postoperative wound infection; Surgical clippers; Microbial bioburden; Transepidermal water loss |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/50773/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/50773/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/50773/ |