topic Re: Pre Admission Testing in Wellness

Pre Admission Testing

geegerbee — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 04:47:27 GMT

I am having surgery next week. Instructions say starting 5 days before surgery I should shower Every NIGHT with a special soap, then sleep on clean sheets. I usually shower in the mornings because I sweat at night. I asked why At Night and she just told me to follow the directions. Have to wash sheets every day will not be fun either Does anyone know Why it should be At Night or can I just shower in the morning and be OK. She said it was so I don't get Mersa.

Re: Pre Admission Testing

Etoile308 — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 04:57:40 GMT

I suspect they want a clean body on the clean sheets.

Re: Pre Admission Testing

resort gal — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 05:03:56 GMT

I had lung cancer surgery in Dec.

I had to shower with special soap and sleep on clean sheets the night before

and shower with the left over soap in the morning. 5 days doesn't make sense.

Re: Pre Admission Testing

ID2 — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 09:40:39 GMT

My dh is having surgery in two weeks. His instructions are to shower with this antiseptic soap, the last three showers he takes, prior to surgery.

Re: Pre Admission Testing

On It — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 10:40:30 GMT

My husband had to shower the night before his surgery with a special soap. He had to pause his shower for five minutes to let the soap sit on his skin. Then he rinsed and slept on clean sheets. The morning of the surgery he took another shower with the special soap allowing it to sit on the skin for five minutes before rinsing. Then we were off to the hospital before dawn.

Re: Pre Admission Testing

Iwantcoffee — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 10:49:43 GMT

I hope everything goes well with your surgery. I encourge you to follow the pre and post surgical instructions. It is in your best interest even though it is not fun or something you want to do. You do not want an infection or complication. Wishing you the best recovery.

Re: Pre Admission Testing

CalminHeart — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 11:32:48 GMT

@geegerbee wrote:
I am having surgery next week. Instructions say starting 5 days before surgery I should shower Every NIGHT with a special soap, then sleep on clean sheets. I usually shower in the mornings because I sweat at night. I asked why At Night and she just told me to follow the directions. Have to wash sheets every day will not be fun either Does anyone know Why it should be At Night or can I just shower in the morning and be OK. She said it was so I don't get Mersa.

Perhaps it takes time for the antibiotics in the soap to work.

I had to do this before a knee replacement. It's 5 days and didn't kill me. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Re: Pre Admission Testing

chrystaltree — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 12:38:10 GMT

Oh good grief, just do what they tell you. It's for infection control. Our bodies harbor all manner of germs and bacteria. It's an antibacterial soap and it wouldn't make any sense to use it in the morning, kill the bacteria and germs and then let them fester all day. And then jump into dirty sheets. If you don't do this you are increasing your chances of acquiring a post op infection.

Re: Pre Admission Testing

SeaMaiden — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 12:41:48 GMT

@geegerbee Just do as they say. Infection is the biggest killer in hospital.

Re: Pre Admission Testing

Auntie CC — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 12:56:32 GMT

Some not so clean folks checkin in to the hospital. They've had to change routines to help assure they have a clean body to work on.

Re: Pre Admission Testing

Krimpette — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 14:09:23 GMT

I could do with all the shower requirements. I would have a problem, however, putting on clean sheets every night for five nights, and having to do all the extra laundering that would be required.

Re: Pre Admission Testing

Effie54 — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 14:18:12 GMT

@On It wrote:
My husband had to shower the night before his surgery with a special soap. He had to pause his shower for five minutes to let the soap sit on his skin. Then he rinsed and slept on clean sheets. The morning of the surgery he took another shower with the special soap allowing it to sit on the skin for five minutes before rinsing. Then we were off to the hospital before dawn.

Same here. My husband had the same instructions. Nothing about the sheets every day.

Re: Pre Admission Testing

geegerbee — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 14:45:50 GMT

Thank you. I am a bit nervous.

Re: Pre Admission Testing

geegerbee — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 14:48:33 GMT

Exactly. The showering isn't the problem. It is having clean sheets 5 nights. It is hard for me to put sheets on anyway---put on one corner, then another one pops up, etc.

Re: Pre Admission Testing

pieman — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 16:32:16 GMT

That's comforting to hear, right?

Shower every night using probably the DIAL Orange Soap, is their norm and not only pray your surgery goes well but you also don't catch Mers.

If you're going to catch something , the hospital is the place!

Most people go into the hospital with that disease and aren't even aware of it.

I wish you well....

Re: Pre Admission Testing

pieman — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 16:25:11 GMT

Then what is the hospitals problem with people catching diseases while there.

Re: Pre Admission Testing

pieman — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 16:28:01 GMT

Gee, you could try being a tad more compassionate in your tone.

Re: Pre Admission Testing

pieman — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 16:30:18 GMT

Which is where these infections harbor.

Perhaps they should scour a bit better , especially with those who work there..

Re: Pre Admission Testing

millieshops — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 17:44:17 GMT

@On It That's very close to the instructions I had for an April surgery. The goal was to have only Covid-free, clean people in the prep rooms and operating arena, I was happy to come through my whole revocery procedure without infection.

I really don't know if the extra precautions were the reason I did well, but I know an infection surgical wound is nothing you want to deal with. From a 1966 surgery, I have a scar about 6"X 1.5". And I was lucky one dose of a strong antibiotic worked.

That abdominal scar hides under clothes - really happy I show no scar at all where my thyroid was removed!

In retrospect, I wonder if better advice before hospitalization could have prevented infection. (

Re: Pre Admission Testing

spent2much — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 17:52:07 GMT

I haven't read all the posts on this topic, but I've had 15 surgeries and was NEVER told any special instructions with soap or timing of showers. Sounds odd to me.