Hibiclens Soap, is This Something New for Surgeries?

[MIGrandma]

My Mom is having the battery in her pacemaker replaced on Dec. 3rd. She had to have her pre-testing done at the hospital yesterday (blood work, chest X-ray and EKG) and had to answer a bunch of questions from a nurse. They also want her to get some hibiclens soap to take a shower with the night before surgery, and again that morning. Have to get it at the pharmacy and she said it can be "pretty pricey" so ask if there is a generic version.

Is this something new? I've had surgery before and never had to use any special soap to shower with.

To me, it really doesn't make sense because she's going to get dressed after her shower, so the area won't be sterile anyway. Don't they use some kind of antiseptic (iodine?) wash on the area before they do the surgery anyway? I'm just wondering, what is the point of this special soap?

 

[Jennasis]

Had spinal surgery this past April and was made to do the same thing. However I was GIVEN the soap (in a little packet) by the nurse during my pre-surgical tests the day before surgery. Seems to be SOP.

 

[MIGrandma]

Had spinal surgery this past April and was made to do the same thing. However I was GIVEN the soap (in a little packet) by the nurse during my pre-surgical tests the day before surgery. Seems to be SOP.

That's nice you didn't have to buy it. Um, what is SOP?

 

[Lintasare]

SOP = Standard Operating Procedure

 

[MIGrandma]

SOP = Standard Operating Procedure

Thanks, I had never seen that particular abbreviation before.

 

[wdwmom2]

My Mom is having the battery in her pacemaker replaced on Dec. 3rd. She had to have her pre-testing done at the hospital yesterday (blood work, chest X-ray and EKG) and had to answer a bunch of questions from a nurse. They also want her to get some hibiclens soap to take a shower with the night before surgery, and again that morning. Have to get it at the pharmacy and she said it can be "pretty pricey" so ask if there is a generic version.

Is this something new? I've had surgery before and never had to use any special soap to shower with.

To me, it really doesn't make sense because she's going to get dressed after her shower, so the area won't be sterile anyway. Don't they use some kind of antiseptic (iodine?) wash on the area before they do the surgery anyway? I'm just wondering, what is the point of this special soap?

Hibiclens has been around awhile. It is an antibacterial wash. Different docs have different procedures. Some may use it pre-surgery, others not.

SOP - standard operating procedure.

 

[Jennasis]

SOP = Standard Operating Procedure

Also,OP, if you do have to buy it, any drugstore will have it and it's really not that bad $-wise. However, you may want to inquire if they have any sample packets at the hospital.

 

[scrapquitler]

I've never heard of it before. I found this: http://www.ehow.com/about_5071135_hibiclens-soap.html

Based on this: http://www.hibiclens.com/mrsa_information.html it seems like this is an additional way to help prevent MRSA. Apparently the anitmicrobial effect lasts for 6 hours after you wash with it.

 

[golfgal]

I've never heard of it before. I found this: http://www.ehow.com/about_5071135_hibiclens-soap.html

Based on this: http://www.hibiclens.com/mrsa_information.html it seems like this is an additional way to help prevent MRSA. Apparently the anitmicrobial effect lasts for 6 hours after you wash with it.

I was wondering what the big deal was if you shower the night before, you are going to be full of germs by morning anyway .

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I was wondering what the big deal was if you shower the night before, you are going to be full of germs by morning anyway .

True, lol. But hibiclens gets below the skin surface and kills germs longer than regular soap.

 

[MIGrandma]

Also,OP, if you do have to buy it, any drugstore will have it and it's really not that bad $-wise. However, you may want to inquire if they have any sample packets at the hospital.

It was the nurse at the hospital who said we had to get it at a pharmacy, so apparantly they don't give it out. They should, if they require it to be used.

I've never heard of it before. I found this: http://www.ehow.com/about_5071135_hibiclens-soap.html

Based on this: http://www.hibiclens.com/mrsa_information.html it seems like this is an additional way to help prevent MRSA. Apparently the anitmicrobial effect lasts for 6 hours after you wash with it.

If it lasts 6 hours, then I don't understand why they want her to shower with it at night AND again the next morning. The morning, I understand. But not the night before.

I was wondering what the big deal was if you shower the night before, you are going to be full of germs by morning anyway .

Exactly!!

Oh well, I guess we just do what they say.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Is this something new? I've had surgery before and never had to use any special soap to shower with.

No, just the opposite. Hibiclens has been around for a very long time. In fact, in the hospital, years ago we used to have the patient either shower or wash/scrub with it the night before a surgical procedure but I haven't seen that done in years. I would bet the reason for this is that the incidence of post surgical infection was not shown to improve using hibiclens, OR infection rates did improve using something else they put on right before the procedure. Products are changing all the time, but each facility is different. Go ahead and use the hibiclens. It smells nice.

 

[Ephany]

It's $6 for a small bottle (4oz?) I think at my pharmacy so it's really not that expensive. Honestly, with so many bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics, I can see why they'd prefer your mom to be as clean as possible before they start the surgery. Good luck, I hope she feels better soon.

 

[laurie31]

No, just the opposite. Hibiclens has been around for a very long time. In fact, in the hospital, years ago we used to have the patient either shower or wash/scrub with it the night before a surgical procedure but I haven't seen that done in years. I would bet the reason for this is that the incidence of post surgical infection was not shown to improve using hibiclens, OR infection rates did improve using something else they put on right before the procedure. Products are changing all the time, but each facility is different. Go ahead and use the hibiclens. It smells nice.

Twenty years ago, it seemed like every patient got a Hibiclens bath the night before surgery. I guess it stopped when one day surgery came into being. Patients weren't in the hospital the night before surgery any more. However, recent research has shown that it is very effective at preventing post-op infections, so it has come back into practice, only with people doing it at home. The idea is to significantly reduce the bacteria count on your skin, so that's why they have people do it twice.

Sorry, I'm in a hurry, and don't have time to link, but we just had an inservice on this very thing at my hospital just a couple of months ago.

(and don't worry - they will still be cleaning the surgical site immediately prior to incision)

 

[Jennasis]

Oh and I should mentioned...a little TMI but do NOT wash your hoo-hah with it! The nurse said not to and so did the instructions it came with.

 

[lizbaby007]

Every time I ever got a piercing (eyebrow, belly button etc..) when I was younger I was told to clean it daily with Hibiclens.

When I had my gallbladder out in June the nurse gave me a packet and said use it the night before surgery. It was kind of funny cause she asked if I was familiar with the stuff and I giggled and said "there wasn't a piercing I ever got that didn't come with a bottle of this stuff." Her eyes bugged a little but she lauged, lol!

 

[npmommie]

Oh and I should mentioned...a little TMI but do NOT wash your hoo-hah with it! The nurse said not to and so did the instructions it came with.

omg I almost spit out my coffee!

 

[MIGrandma]

Oh and I should mentioned...a little TMI but do NOT wash your hoo-hah with it! The nurse said not to and so did the instructions it came with.

They did tell her that too, and also not to use it to wash the hair on her head either, or her face.

I thought this must be a "new thing" because I had my gall bladder/appendix out (old fashioned way) in 1977 and thyroid surgery in 2003 and neither time did they tell me to shower with any special soap. And Mom had her original pacemaker surgery in 2000, a masectomy in 2003, also a hysterectomy and appendix years ago and never had to use it.

Someone said it's only $6 for a small bottle, glad to hear it's not expensive. The nurse made it sound like it was. If it's that cheap I'll probably just pick it up for her at Wal-Mart tomorrow when I pick up my prescription. Otherwise I was going to call around to different pharmacies to check their prices for it.

 

[Jennasis]

Yo OP...8oz, $9.99 at Walgreens: http://www.walgreens.com/search/results.jsp?Ntt=hibiclens&x=0&y=0

 

[MIGrandma]

Yo OP...8oz, $9.99 at Walgreens: http://www.walgreens.com/search/results.jsp?Ntt=hibiclens&x=0&y=0

Thanks. So, possibly between $6 and $10...depending on where we get it. I wonder why the nurse said it's "pricey" and see if they have a generic? Odd.