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ASHE recommends precautions for surgical prep solutions

Patient Safety Monitor Alert, April 6, 2005

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Despite risks of surgical fires, authorities and hospitals should allow the use of alcohol-based surgical preparation solutions, according to a regulatory advisory from the American Society of Healthcare Engineering (ASHE).

Some authorities have cracked down on alcohol-based preps following a surgical fire, ASHE says in its March 18 advisory. The regulators apparently rely on their interpretation of a standard published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) called NFPA 99, Healthcare Facilities. ASHE disputes that interpretation.

ASHE recommends that healthcare facilities take the following steps:

• Continue to use alcohol-based surgical preps as long as clinicians follow the instructions on the product
• Evaluate current procedures to ensure and document that the solutions in question thoroughly dry before surgeons use any type of electrocautery device or other potential source of ignition

Alcohol-based preps are antiseptics whose usefulness isn't outweighed by the relatively small occurrences of surgical fires, ASHE says. For more information, visit ASHE here.

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