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Surgical scrub

Please note content is for educational purposes only and procedures should not conducted based on this information. OSCEstop and authors take no responsibility for errors or for the use of any content.

Before you start

  • Gather equipment
    • Surgical mask – put this on now (you should already have a surgical hat on)
    • Sterile gown pack (contains 2 towels and a gown)
    • Sterile gloves
    • Sterile brush/sponge (with nail pick inside)
  • Prepare equipment
    • Open outer packaging of gown pack and drop pack onto clean surface
    • Unfold the sterile inner packaging of gown pack (touching only the corners of the packet) over a surface to create a sterile field
    • Open the outer packaging of the gloves and drop them into the sterile field
  • Open the sponge packet and leave inside its container by the sink

From now on, keep your hands elevated above your elbows…

Wash hands and forearms (1 minute) 

– Turn taps on
– Rinse hands and forearms
– Apply 3 doses of scrub solution to hands (using elbows to dispense it)
– Wash hands and forearms for 1 minute
Rinse off scrub solution (keeping hands higher than elbows)

Clean nails (1 minute)

– Apply scrub solution to hands and forearms
– Use nail pick to clean each nail in turn (rinse pick after each nail)
Rinse hands and forearm
– Apply water and scrub solution to brush (using elbows to dispense it)
– Scrub nails
Rinse off scrub solution (keeping hands higher than elbows)

Wash hands and forearms again (3 minutes)

– Apply 3 doses of scrub solution to hands (using elbows to dispense it)
Wash hands very thoroughly and then down to forearms (but not down as far as the first wash)
Rinse off scrub solution (keeping hands higher than elbows)
– Turn off the taps using your elbows

Apply gown

– Place hands in sleeve pockets on either side of gown
Raise your arms high and step backward so the gown falls open in the air
Slide your arms into the sleeves (but ensure your hands remain inside the cuffs)
Hold your arms up in the air and ask a colleague to tie the back of the gown

Put on gloves

Open the sterile inner packaging of the gloves using the cuffs of your gown
– Using your right hand (inside the gown cuff), place left glove over left cuff with your left palm facing upwards
Open your left hand into the glove leaving the cuff around your wrist (inside the glove)
Repeat on other side

Secure the gown

– Hand the card attached to the gown’s right tie to a colleague
– Ask them to hold it while you turn around 360˚ (left)
Pull the strap away from the card they are holding so it detaches
Tie the strap to the other strap in a bow to secure the gown

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