Wellness

[JeanLouiseFinch]

A clean body on clean sheets is correct, along with the remaining the morning of surgery. That special soap is super drying.  Your skin will be crying for a body moisturizer, but wait until after the surgery.  

Best wishes for a good outcome. 

[chrystaltree]

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@pieman wrote:

Which is where these infections harbor.

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

It's not about germs and bacteria from outside but most hospitals have indeed strengthened infection control practices amongst staff and processes.  But the preop antibacterial washes are for what's on our own skin.  

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[kate2357]

I had similar instructions for my surgery in June. I used two top sheets as they were easier to put on/take off and launder. It was new to me too and the pre-op nurse told me it was to reduce risk of infection. She said she knew it was a pita, but to just do it. So I did.

Hope surgery and recovery go well for you.

[CelticCrafter]

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@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:

A clean body on clean sheets is correct, along with the remaining the morning of surgery. That special soap is super drying.  Your skin will be crying for a body moisturizer, but wait until after the surgery.  

Best wishes for a good outcome. 

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A clean body on clean sheets, what about clean pajamas each night or are you supposed to sleep naked?

If they didn't tell you about clean pajamas too, then what's the point of changing the sheets each day for a week.

[Zernia Rose]

The bathing instructions are to reduce the risks of infection, mainly MRSA and now, a dreaded fungal infection, Candida auris fungus, that is drug-resistant and quite invasive. 

[hyacinth003]

I am an RN and can give you a clue.

You CANNOT sterilize the skin.  The best you can do is REDUCE the number of organisms on it.  They will use an antiseptic cleanser in the OR and perhaps a sterile cover over the incision site.  So then they make an incision into and through the skin.  So the risk is any organisms on the skin can enter the inside the body.

So they are trying to reduce the number of organisms on your skin and sheets (we shed lots of skin cells).   This must be their protocol to try to reduce infection from the patient's ability. 

Perhaps an extra set of sheets would take the burden of washing sheets every single day.

Hospitals, because they are full of sick people, contain lots of germs, some not found outside the hospital.  Maintaining sterility in the OR is on them, but there are other factors.  Do whatever you can to reduce the chance of infection.

Hyacinth

[Reilley]

My sister took her shower in the morning on the day of surgery!  Obviously there are very good reasons why so many showers are requested but too many for her comfort. She did use the bottles of soap as directed!