A study regarding betadine for surgical prep

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Hi everyone :jester: This is my first post-and of course I have a question. I am working on putting a feasibility study together regarding betadine use in our OR. We currently use multi use betadine paint and scrub, along with multi use chlorhexidine. On a few occasions, we will use either duraprep or chloraprep.

My question is: What are you using in your OR's to prep? If you are using betadine-is it in a single use or multi use bottles and what are your facilities policies on this?

At my facility, I just found out from a CNS friend of mine that the OR is the ONLY department not using single use betadine (paint or scrub).

I have found very little literature on this topic. I have learned that betadine is inactivated at body temp and when blood comes in contact with it! Mostly, I want to know about the sterility of these multi use betadine bottles-are caps becoming contaminated and if so, what are they growing? I checked with AORN, but there is nothing specific about multi use vs. single use and sterility.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

If this study goes well, I am going to submit it to our facility president and hopefully enact that dreaded word: CHANGE!!:eek:

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Specializes in L&D, OR, travel.

Dear Humble one,

Good for you for wanting to do a study and perhaps start change! I'm from a mid-size hospital in Louisville. Do about 40 cases per day. Early this year our staff was moving toward chlorehexidine for almost all preps. The literature and Inf. Control supported us. And most surgeons were very happy to change. Mostly, they just want "a prep", anything, just get it done! We have a very large GYN case load. Alas, right there in the literature enclosure was the warning: "Not to be used in the lady parts". So that change didn't last long. Too bad. The pref. cards had all been changed and the pars were changed for the prep supplies. It was a pretty big hassle.

So we are back to Beta/ Beta for almost everything.

About the betadine bottles: We have kits that have single use beta pour bottles. I haven't seen multiple use bottles in a long time.

Good luck.

Deb in KY

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Thanks for your input, I appreciate it! What company supplies your prep kits with the betadine in it? And do you know what the cost is per unit?

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