Prophylaxis of Neurosurgical Infections by Improved Preoperative Disinfection of the Scalp

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Abstract
The heads of neurosurgical patients were subject to 2 scrubbings with hexachlorophene detergent, performed in the ward prior to operation. After this single change of routines the frequency of wound infections after craniotomy dropped 4-fold, from 2% to 0.5%. The result indicates that the scalp of the patient is the major source of the staphylococci that cause neurosurgical infections.