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Biomedical subjects

A Napier

Publications and source records attributed to A Napier.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Effects of whole body disinfection on skin flora in patients undergoing elective surgery.

Bacterial skin flora were studied in two groups of patients having three showers with either a 4% chlorhexidine detergent solution (Group A, N = 57) or a placebo detergent (Group B, N = 58). Previous reports on the efficacy of chlorhexidine in decreasing bacterial counts on the skin were confirmed and the time taken to recolonization (median 5 days; range 1-10 days) was in broad agreement with previous reports. However, concern regarding the colonization of the skin of the patients in the chlorhexidine group by potential pathogens during the recolonization period appears unfounded as there was no significant difference in the incidence of non-resident skin flora between the chlorhexidine (17/57; 30%) and the placebo (14/58; 24%) groups. These non-residents are generally lost from the skin before discharge in the chlorhexidine group but nine patients in the placebo group had abnormal skin flora at discharge from hospital. All those patients tested after discharge had lost the non-resident flora within 2 weeks of discharge. The results of this study indicate that recolonization of the skin after whole body disinfection does not present a clinical problem.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Rationalizing whole body disinfection.

As part of the preparation for a large prospective trial investigating the effect of preoperative whole body disinfection on the postoperative wound infection rate, this preliminary volunteer study was carried out to establish (a) the optimum number of preoperative washes required to achieve a maximum level of skin disinfection and (b) if showering or bathing is a more efficient method of skin disinfection. Ten healthy volunteers were recruited. The results show a significant decrease (p less than 0.005) in the skin flora after the first and second showers (a decrease of 93.55% and 77.49% respectively), but no further significant fall with subsequent showers. There was a significant fall (p less than 0.005) in skin flora after a single bath (a decrease of 70.98%) with subsequent baths producing no further significant reduction in skin flora. From these results it is recommended that three preoperative showers with 4% chlorhexidine detergent be used as an optimum preoperative whole body disinfection regimen. Three showers ensures against less thorough washing by the patients compared to the healthy volunteers in the study and fits easily into a preoperative regimen.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

How informed is signed consent?

The assurance that patients fully understand the information given to them before they sign the consent form for operation has never been validated in this country. One hundred patients were interviewed by an independent medical observer in one surgical unit in a teaching hospital between two and five days after their operation. Although all the patients interviewed were fully aware that they had had an operation, 27 did not know which organ was operated on and 44 were unaware of the exact nature of the surgical procedure. A significantly higher age group was observed in the group of patients who were unaware of the basic facts relating to their operation, and the problem was encountered most commonly in patients over the age of 60. Because of the medical and legal importance the findings of this pilot study warrant further large scale investigations.

Age Factors↗