Procedures and medications initiated to prevent infection above and beyond standard large-animal survival surgery standards
Measures | Description |
---|---|
Preoperative measures | All surfaces of the operating room including the walls and ceiling were sanitized with Quatricide PV-15 (Pharmacal) prior to each surgery |
Swine received a Hibiclens (chlorhexidine gluconate) bath over the entire body the day before and the day of surgery | |
All hair clipping was performed before entering the OR | |
Feet were wrapped with Vetrap before entering the OR | |
Xeroform Petrolatum gauze inserted in the ears | |
Head, ears, and neck were washed with 2% chlorhexidine wipes before entering the operating room | |
Staff replaced all personal protective equipment before entering OR | |
Additional scrub and drape measures | Ears were wrapped with sterile Vetrap |
Tegaderm was placed over the top of the snout, over the eyes, and around the ears creating a perimeter around the surgical site on the head | |
A dedicated scrub pack was used separate from the instrument pack with the surgeon rescrubbing/regowning after scrub | |
Three-step scrub instead of two-step scrub: incision sites prepped with 70% ethanol then with betadine using gauze held with a dedicated scrub hemostat, then with a ChloraPrep wand | |
Three layers of drapes instead of two: sterile Steri-Drapes were placed around the incision sites then site was covered by Ioban then with a large split-sheet sterile drape placed over the entire surgical area | |
Prophylactic antibiotics | Vancomycin (10–20 mg/kg, i.v.) infused over 30 min prior to the first incision |
Cephalexin (10–20 mg/kg, orally) three times/d for 7 d | |
Other | Using dedicated instruments for the neck site (not used at the head site) and a new pair of surgical gloves to handle the EEG transmitter |
All instruments were heat/pressure sterilized as possible. Chemical sterilization with ethylene oxide was not used | |
The EEG transmitter was prevented from touching the skin of the pig by adding new drapes and packing sterile gauze around the incision site | |
Surgical sites were heavily irrigated with sterile saline prior to closing | |
Postsurgically, the skin of the pig was oiled regularly to prevent irritation and scratching | |
Placards placed on the swine pen indicated areas approved for scratching by caretakers avoiding incision sites |
OR, Operating room.