title: [Are nail polish, artificial nails and piercings allowed outside the surgical area?Recommendations for the perioperative policy].
abstract: - An increasing number of patients wear nail polish, artificial nails or have piercings.- There is uncertainty about the perioperative management of these items, especially when located outside the surgical area.- In the majority of hospitals, patients are urged to remove these items preoperatively, under the assumption that they might cause problems.- Frequently, however, these items cannot be removed straightforwardly.- Nail polish and artificial nails only very rarely cause perioperative problems and therefore do not need to be removed pre-operatively.- The same applies to most piercings, except when located in or near the respiratory tract, if they have sharp endings or if they might cause problems as a result of the perioperative positioning of the patient.- Providing adequate information to the patient, knowledge about removal of these items and documentation of agreed arrangements are all important.- A national guideline concerning perioperative policy is urgently required.
authors.affiliation: Radboudumc, afd. Anesthesiologie, Pijn en Palliatieve zorg, Nijmegen.
authors.forename: M J L
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bucx
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krijtenburg
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Scheffer
mesh_terms: D046288:Body Piercing / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000639:trends; D003358:Cosmetics / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D009262:Nails / Q000382:microbiology; D009426:Netherlands; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000592:standards*; D010819:Physician's Role; D011044:Poland; D011300:Preoperative Care
chemical_list: D003358:Cosmetics