These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Periungual bacterial flora in the human foot.
    Author: Wolf EW, Hodge W, Spielfogel WD.
    Journal: J Foot Surg; 1991; 30(3):253-63. PubMed ID: 1875000.
    Abstract:
    Proper presurgical preparations are presumed to eliminate organisms from the skin, nails, and nail grooves. It has not been documented as to whether surgical scrubs reduce the types and numbers of bacteria and thereby affect the incidence of infection in performing toenail surgery. This study, performed pre- and postsurgical scrub cultures of four sites on 40 subjects. Similar cultures from ten additional patients who underwent nail surgery were also performed. The later set had an additional set of cultures performed after avulsion of the nail plate and the beginning of the actual surgical procedure. Blood cultures were done intraoperatively on the surgical patients. Results revealed that nail grooves are difficult, if not impossible, to antisepticize. The usual presurgical scrub does not eradicate bacteria in these areas. As such, nail surgery must certainly be considered dirty surgery and precautionary measures must be considered.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]