Home › Forums › Infexion Connexion › Pens for marking skin prior to surgery › Re: Pens for marking skin prior to surgery
Hi All,
I would still prefer to mark the leg then have the wrong one amputated.
Happens more often then you might think!
Just a thought.
And if the leg is being amputated what is the risk of infection following surgery?
And as the leg is being amputated (usually due ti infection) isn’t the site left at increased risk anyway?
Just curious.
Lynley
ICP
Alice Springs Hospital
CAHN
Sent from mikala, the iPad!
On 05/06/2013, at 11:56, Michael Wishart wrote:
> Hi Irene
>
> Good question, some aspects of which has already been discussed in the literature, but with conflicting opinions.
>
> http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ICAAC-IDSA/11440
>
> http://patientsafetyauthority.org/ADVISORIES/AdvisoryLibrary/2008/Dec5(4)/Pages/130.aspx
>
> Some of those referred studies seem to indicate different brands will act differently. The most interest finding I saw was that in one study, MRSA remained on all types of felt tips tested.
>
> So, the question remains: is it possible to transfer microorganisms via felt tip pens? Without doing a full study on whichever brand of felt tip pen we chose, I would be reluctant to say a definite yes for all different marking pens.
>
> Should we rely solely on antiseptic skin prep prior to the procedure? I think would much depend on where the site was marked… I have seen limbs marked prior to surgery well below where the area was be prepped with antiseptic.
>
> At the very least, the body of the marking pens should be wiped over between uses to avoid transfer of MRO’s onto the hands of whoever handles it, as these pens have direct contact with patients. Carrying a marking pen for the purpose of limb marking in one’s pocket ‘until it runs dry’ seems to be asking for problems (and not just from staining of the pockets from ink!).
>
> More discussion on this would be appreciated. I recognise that sterile marking pens have been used within the sterile field for a long time, but should we use these same disposable sterile markers for pre-operative limb marking as required for safe-site surgery protocols?
>
> Cheers
> Michael
>
> Michael Wishart
> CNC Infection Control
> Holy Spirit Northside Private Hospital
> 627 Rode Road, Chermside, Qld 4032
> t: (07) 3326 3068 | f: (07) 3607 2226
> e: Michael.Wishart@hsn.org.au
> w:www.holyspiritnorthside.org.au
> Please consider the environment before printing this email
>
>
>
> —–Original Message—–
> From: ACIPC Infexion Connexion [mailto:AICALIST@AICALIST.ORG.AU] On Behalf Of Wilkinson, Irene (Health)
> Sent: Wednesday, 5 June 2013 12:03 PM
> To: AICALIST@AICALIST.ORG.AU
> Subject: Re: Pens for marking skin prior to surgery
>
> Hi all,
>
> Is there any evidence that texta markers are a vehicle for transmission of microorganisms?
> Th
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