Preparing the Skin Before Surgery

You can play an important role in your child’s health. Bathing your child before surgery will help reduce the number of germs on their skin. Fewer germs on the skin means less chance of an infection after surgery.

Please Prep the Skin Using the Following Methods:

• The regular bath
  • The night before surgery
  • The morning of surgery
• Comfort Bath® wash cloths
  • The night before surgery
  • The morning of surgery
• Hibiclens®
  • The night before surgery
  • The morning of surgery
• CHG cloths
  • The night before surgery
  • The morning of surgery

When to Call the Doctor

If your child becomes ill, please call your surgery location and let them know what is going on. They will let you know if the surgery will need to be rescheduled. 

Bathing Your Child Before Surgery

Follow the steps below if you have been told to prep your child’s skin with a regular bath.

1. The night before surgery, remove all body jewelry and piercings.
2. Remove nail polish and artificial nails.Trim your child’s fingernails and toenails.
3. Do not shave the operative site with a razor within seven days before surgery.If shaving is needed, it will be done in the operating room by the surgery staff.
4. Wash your child with a fresh bar of soap or liquid anti-bacterial soap.Give special care to all skin folds.
5. Wash your child’s hair using your regular shampoo.
6. Rinse all areas well with water.
7. Dry with a clean towel.
8. Do not use lotions, creams, deodorant, or powders after the bath.
9. Dress your child in freshly-washed, loose, comfortable clothes.

Using Comfort Bath^® Washcloths Before Surgery

If you have been told to use the Comfort Bath^® washcloths to prep your child’s skin, start by following steps 1 through 7 under Bathing Your Child Before Surgery. above. Once you have dried your child with the clean towel, follow the steps below.

1. Open the package of Comfort Bath^® washcloths. Use each cloth for about 20 seconds, wiping the skin from neck to toe with a back and forth motion.
2. Let the skin air-dry. Do not rinse the area with water unless a rash or redness forms.
3. Do not use lotions, creams, deodorant, or powders after the bath with Comfort Bath^® washcloths.
4. Throw Comfort Bath^® washcloths away in the trash. Do not flush down the toilet.
5. Dress your child in freshly-washed, loose, comfortable clothes.

Using Hibiclens^® Before Surgery

If you have been told to use the Hibiclens^® cleanser to prep your child’s skin, start by following steps 1 through 3 under Bathing Your Child Before Surgery. Then, follow the steps below. 

1. Shower or bathe your child with Hibiclens the night before and the morning of surgery, including the hair.
2. Do not use Hibiclens^® on the diaper area or private areas (genitalia). Cleanse these areas with your normal soap. Keep out of the eyes, ears, and mouth.
3. Do not use additional soaps or shampoos after the Hibiclens bath.
4. Rinse all areas well.
5. Dry with a clean towel.
6. Do not use lotions, creams, deodorant, or powders after the bath with Hibiclens.
7. Dress your child in freshly-washed, loose, comfortable clothes.
8. If your child has irritation or an allergic reaction, call the doctor.

Using Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG) Before Surgery

If you have been told to use CHG cloths to prep your child’s skin, start by following steps 1 through 7 under Bathing Your Child Before Surgery.  Once you have dried your child with the clean towel, follow the steps below.

1. Open the package of cloths. Use each cloth for about 20 seconds, wiping the skin from neck to toe with a back and forth motion.
2. Do not use CHG cloths on the face, ears, eyes, nose, mouth or the private areas (genitalia). If the cloths do touch these areas, rinse the skin with lots of clean, warm water to help keep them from becoming red and irritated.
3. Let the skin air-dry. Do not rinse the area with water unless a rash or redness forms.
4. Do not use lotions, creams, deodorant, or powders after the bath with chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) cloths.
5. Throw the chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) cloths away in the trash. Do not flush down the toilet.
6. Dress your child in freshly-washed, loose, comfortable clothes.
7. If your child has irritation or an allergic reaction, call the doctor.

Preparing the Skin Before Surgery (PDF)

HH-IV-139 10/19 | Copyright 2019, Nationwide Children’s Hospital