shaving cream to clean dirty butts??

[old heart]

Does anyone out there still use shaving cream to clean peri areas of stool, or to refresh smelly feet? A hospital around here has been using it for years (it works great) but doesn't know where this practice started, or if it's just here or if it's the practice in other areas as well. Any info you have would be appreciated....

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Only on rare occasions do we shave. Nothing worse than razor rash around the peri rectal area.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

but once the butts are clean, why not put some more shaving cream on there and actually shave it? I have done this with long term pts who are demented or unconscious. It does make clean up the next time much easier.

I am not going to shave someone there for my OWN conveniece conscious or not. Just because they can't object or consent to it does not give me the right to decide such a personal thing for them.

Not to mention getting CUT down there???

If it's a doctor's order for the sake of health purposes, that's one thing. But till i run across such...

[Dan.Ed]

Michelle, you're so right about razor rash.... we don't make them ready for a bikini , just a quick once over...dan

[chadash]

could this be the beginning of a debate between the hairless hindend hygiene advocates and the rear razor rash alarmist?

[SFCardiacRN]

Once I was asked to prep a patient for anal surgery. This guy was like a gorilla. After 20 minutes and 10 razors I started seeing streaks of blood. It turns out I had sliced off a few condylomas!

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Oh, eyeeeeeeeeeew.

[Bipley]

OK, very interesting conversation--- only nurses are so concerned with poo and hairy butts.... Now this is slightly off subject; but once the butts are clean, why not put some more shaving cream on there and actually shave it? I have done this with long term pts who are demented or unconscious. It does make clean up the next time much easier. All my coworkers have appreciated it AND I think it is cleaner for the patient.... As stated earlier be sure to use shaving creme without alcohol OR menthol..... dan

That doesn't sound like a very good idea (shaving). Sounds itchy.

[Dan.Ed]

Didn't mean to offend any one... I'm not talking about a baby butt smooth shave..... and not every butt that walks through the door; in fact if they walk through the door that pretty musch means they don't need it.....just a quick once over every month or so on long term pts with incontinence..... and believe me, it's not convenient. It helps keep the pt cleaner. d

[cdhaywood]

This was a trick I learned while a CNA in a nursing home - old time aides taught this one to me - and I was just talking with a nurse the other night that worked as an aide while she was in school - and she did it too!

[Bipley]

Didn't mean to offend any one... I'm not talking about a baby butt smooth shave..... and not every butt that walks through the door; in fact if they walk through the door that pretty musch means they don't need it.....just a quick once over every month or so on long term pts with incontinence..... and believe me, it's not convenient. It helps keep the pt cleaner. d

Dan... I don't see anything you wrote where someone else should be offended, I just disagree with the practice because it can be itchy.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Rather than shave hair, we used scissors to clip the hair very carefully. I was always a little leary of using a razor to shave. I remember having a conversation once about using the facility electric shaver, but decided against this for the reason of where it was going to be used!

[SFCardiacRN]

Today, standard of care is to use clippers with disposable heads. And Dan, I think you should be commended for trying to go the extra step for your patients that can't take care of themselves. When my time comes, I hope I have someone as consciences as you!