title: Pursuing cleanliness in a field surgical environment.
abstract: Perioperative military nurses often are faced with the challenge of providing a clean surgical milieu in environments that are decidedly hostile to cleanliness. The combination of temperature extremes, blowing sand, dirt, mud, infection vectors, and the nature of battlefield wounds thwart the best intentions of maintaining cleanliness. Mitigating these problems requires setting priorities, teamwork, a rigorous daily regimen of cleaning, and a willingness to make improvements as opportunities become available.
authors.affiliation: Naval Medical Center San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cather
mesh_terms: D006272:Health Facility Environment; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007493:Iraq; D008886:Military Hygiene / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D008887:Military Medicine; D009873:Operating Rooms; D013242:Sterilization / Q000379:methods; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000601:surgery