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Preoperative hair removal: a systematic review
Judith Tanner1, Kate Moncaster, Dianne Woodings
1De Montfort University, Leicester.
Journal of Perioperative Practice
|April 10, 2007
Summary
Preoperative hair removal before surgery does not definitively reduce surgical site infections (SSIs). If hair removal is necessary, clipping or depilatory creams are safer than shaving to minimize SSIs.
Area of Science:
- Surgical patient preparation
- Infection control in healthcare
Background:
- Traditionally, body hair removal at surgical sites is routine.
- Emerging evidence suggests preoperative hair removal may increase surgical site infections (SSIs).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of preoperative hair removal on the incidence of SSIs.
- To determine if routine hair removal is beneficial or detrimental to patient outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of eleven randomized controlled trials.
- Analysis of studies comparing different methods of preoperative hair removal versus no hair removal.
Main Results:
- Insufficient evidence exists to conclude whether hair removal affects SSIs.
- No optimal timing for preoperative hair removal was identified.
- Clipping and depilatory creams showed fewer SSIs compared to razor shaving.
Conclusions:
- The necessity and impact of routine preoperative hair removal on SSIs remain unclear.
- When hair removal is indicated, methods like clipping or depilatory creams are preferable to shaving to reduce infection risk.
