Surgical Site Care
Schedule this so that you clean and dress your site approximately one hour after taking your pain meds.
Clean your site according to your doctor's schedule and instructions, and only if he has told you that you are supposed to do it.
If he directs you to use peroxide:
- Pour a small amount into a clean container (like a medicine cup or ramekin).
- Dip a cotton swab into the peroxide ONLY ONCE.
- Clean by swiping ONCE over the cleanest part of the site.
- Throw that swab away.
- Repeat with a fresh swab for each dip-and-swipe, working from the cleanest areas to the dirtiest areas.
- Peroxide must be washed off with water, not allowed to sit on the skin.
If you are directed to use water, use the same instructions given for peroxide.
A bottle of Normal Saline from the pharmacy or regular bottled, distilled water is preferable to tap water if possible.
Dressing a surgical site
Your doctor or nurse should explain this to you. If these directions differ in any way from what your doctor or nurse says, follow their instructions, not mine.
Have on hand the necessary supplies to do this in a single sitting. Mise en place.
You may need to have any or all of the following:
- Scissors designated to the task. Don't use your kitchen scissors!
- A container for water if you are to clean your site.
- A container for peroxide if you are directed to use peroxide.
- A receptacle for trash (the old dressing, packaging, q-tips...)
- Tweezers if you think you'll need them to remove the old dressing or place the new dressing.
- Neosprorin or other antibiotic ointment. Use this only if you were directed to.
- Telfa or other non-stick gauze
- Regular gauze 2X2s or 4X4s, or other gauze bandages
- Tape
- Band-aids
Follow these steps as best you can:
- Wash your hands to the best of your abilites.
- Pre-cut as many strips of tape as you will need. Keep them handy.
- Carefully remove the old dressing and put it in the trash receptacle.
- Clean the site as directed. It should be dry before applying the new dressing.
- Open the antibiotic ointment if you are to use it. Have a safe, clean place to set it down to avoid contaminating the rim of the tube.
- Open a single sterile, non-stick gauze pad. If the site is very small, a band-aid will work and is a sterile, non-stick pad.
- Apply the antibiotic ointment to the sterile pad, not to your finger or the site.
- Carefully apply the pad to the site. Try to keep it from sliding around.
- Repeat steps 6-8 for each area to be dressed.
- Carefully cover the non-stick pads with regular gauze.
- Tape the regular gauze. Do not tape around the circumference of your arm; that can interfere with your circulation.
- Dispose of the old dressing carefully so no one (human or animal) will be exposed to it.
- Wash your hands to the best of your abilites.
- If the drainage onto the old dressing is foul, if the site looks red or infected, is draining pus, is hot to the touch, or has streaks of red extending from it, notify your doctor.
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