Tattoos and scrubbing

[segeorge]

Does anyone know if the lye soap used for scrubbing into surgery will affect/damage a tattoo?

EDIT: After reading some comments I realize that no one uses lye for scrubbing. For some reason I must have misheard the vet at the practice I volunteer at when he told me the type of soap they used. I haven't started any surgical classes yet so I've never scrubbed before! Thanks for your help though 🙂

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[battie]

Does anyone know if the lye soap used for scrubbing into surgery will affect/damage a tattoo?

My tattoo is on my right wrist and when I asked, I was told it shouldn't be a problem. I have practiced scrubbing several times and haven't had an issue thus far. But we'll see. I'm hoping!

 

[LetItSnow]

Lye?? Who uses lye for scrubbing into surgery?

(For that matter, who scrubs anymore? Get an Avagard chlorhex dispenser and be done with it.)

 

[pp9]

Does anyone know if the lye soap used for scrubbing into surgery will affect/damage a tattoo?

I would assume that if you do a lot of surgery, you may fade your tattoo earlier than expected. But yeah...I don't think I've seen lye soap in any of the places I've worked. It's usually chlorhex, nolvasan, Hibiclens, etc.

 

[jmo1012]

Lye?? Who uses lye for scrubbing into surgery?

(For that matter, who scrubs anymore? Get an Avagard chlorhex dispenser and be done with it.)

Or if you want to be really special like here, you can scrub and then alcohol...idk why.

 

[LetItSnow]

Or if you want to be really special like here, you can scrub and then alcohol...idk why.

I call that's dumb. 🙂

I don't remember the last time I actually scrub scrubbed. I love the Avagard chlorhex dispenser dealio.

 

[LetItSnow]

I would assume that if you do a lot of surgery, you may fade your tattoo earlier than expected. But yeah...I don't think I've seen lye soap in any of the places I've worked. It's usually chlorhex, nolvasan, Hibiclens, etc.

I bet PP's right, at least for someone doing aggressive scrubbing.

That said, if you're scrubbing that aggressively you're overdoing it - same as aseptically preparing an incision site, you shouldn't be scrubbing that hard because you'll just bring bacteria to the surface. Goal is just to reduce CFUs to a level insufficient to cause infection, not to sterilize your hands.

Scrubbing done right .... might still fade it over time, but I bet it shouldn't. No more than washing your hands multiple times every day, anyway.

 

[pp9]

I call that's dumb. 🙂

I don't remember the last time I actually scrub scrubbed. I love the Avagard chlorhex dispenser dealio.

I hear people are trying to move away from scrubbing. Fine by me, since I always seem to screw it up somehow.

 

[jmo1012]

I hear people are trying to move away from scrubbing. Fine by me, since I always seem to screw it up somehow.

There have been some papers out suggesting that the alcohol based cleansers are more effective

@LetItSnow I don't disagree with you - I was most confused the first time I saw them do that. Seems resource wasteful and silly...

 

[LetItSnow]

There have been some papers out suggesting that the alcohol based cleansers are more effective

@LetItSnow I don't disagree with you - I was most confused the first time I saw them do that. Seems resource wasteful and silly...

Interesting. More effective than traditional scrubbing, more effective than lotion-based non-'scrubbing' solutions, or both? With the lotion-based that we use, the biggest mistake people make is putting too little on and then rubbing their hands too briskly to evaporate it too quickly. You still need to stand there and let your hands soak so you get the contact time. But I'd rather do that then the awkward stand-at-the-sink thing. 🙂

I know there are papers documenting the higher rates of perioperative infection complications with booties (probably contaminant from people reaching down to put on their booties) - in many human hospitals they are moving away from them because of the evidence. We still use booties in two of our hospitals (the ones associated with a large referral practice). Our standalone ERs I think it's doctor discretion (not really sure we even stock them in those facilities - I don't use booties if I'm cutting there, but I use them in the other two because it's protocol).

Ditto for the whole positive-pressure operatory thing - the evidence is showing that didn't really make any difference either, but it was super popular in human hospitals back ... well, decades ago.

 

[CalliopeDVM]

Yes, recent research is saying scrub once, before the first surgery, then an alcohol-based scrub between surgeries. T that assumes no gross contamination between them..... In you also are a vet who indices and preps, that wouldn't apply, LOL.

I agree about never seeing any lye---it is probably too rough and would increase infection risk anyway


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[pp9]

There have been some papers out suggesting that the alcohol based cleansers are more effective

@LetItSnow I don't disagree with you - I was most confused the first time I saw them do that. Seems resource wasteful and silly...

That sounds like murder on your hands....how do you feel about it? I can barely keep my skin from cracking during winter and I'm not doing any scrubbing right now.

 

[jmo1012]

That sounds like murder on your hands....how do you feel about it? I can barely keep my skin from cracking during winter and I'm not doing any scrubbing right now.

They are actually all pretty nice. The biggest ones are formulated with moisturizers and they are definitely more gentle on skin than scrubbing. I'm blanking on the name of the one we have here and had at ncsu, but I like that one better than avaguard.