title: Perioperative hair removal in the 21st century: Utilizing an innovative vacuum-assisted technology to safely expedite hair removal before surgery.
abstract: Perioperative hair removal using clippers requires lengthy cleanup to remove loose hairs contaminating the operative field. We compared the amount of hair debris and associated microbiologic contamination produced during clipping of surgical sites using standard surgical clippers (SSC) or clippers fitted with a vacuum-assisted hair collection device (SCVAD).
  
  
  
  Trained nurses conducted bilateral hair clipping of the chest and groin of 18 male subjects using SSC or SCVAD. Before and during clipping, measurements of particulate matter and bacterial contamination were evaluated on settling plates placed next to each subject's chest and groin. Skin condition after clipping and total clipping/cleanup times were compared between SSC and SCVAD.
  
  
  
  The microbial burden recovered from residual hair during cleanup in the SSC group was 3.9 log10CFU and 4.6 log10CFU from respective, chest, and groin areas. Use of the SCVAD resulted in a significant (P < .001) reduction in both residual hair and microbial contamination within the operative field compared with SSC.
  
  
  
  Use of SCVAD resulted in significant (P < .001) reduction in total time required to clip and clean up residual hair contaminating the operative field compared with standard practice (ie, SSC), eliminating the need to physically remove dispersed hairs, which can harbor a significant microbial burden, from within the operative field.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI. Electronic address: edmiston@mcw.edu.
authors.forename: Charles E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Edmiston
authors.affiliation: BioScience Laboratories, Inc, Bozeman, MT.
authors.forename: Russell K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Griggs
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tanner
authors.affiliation: Infection Prevention Consultants, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI.
authors.forename: Gary R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Seabrook
authors.affiliation: Institute of Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leaper
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006204:Hair Removal / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D014618:Vacuum; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Microbial bioburden; Postoperative wound infection; Surgical clippers; Transepidermal water loss