Title: Current practice and Swedish OT nurses peri-operative routines regarding saphenous vein harvesting during coronary artery bypass surgery 

Objectives: To determine current practice and peri-operative routines regarding saphenous vein harvesting (SVH) in connection to coronary artery bypass surgery grafting (CABG). 
Methods: A prospective survey was carried out among the 119 OT nurses currently working at the eight departments of cardio-thoracic surgery in Sweden. Responses from all hospitals were received and the total response rate was 62/119 (52%). 
Results: The majority of the OT nurses reported that perioperative skin disinfection was performed by an OT nurse (87 %) and that the skin was disinfected for about 3-5 minutes (58%). All Swedish departments of cardio-thoracic surgery used Chlorhexidine 5 mg/ml in 70% ethanol and 62 % of the hospitals used tinted Chlorhexidine. Incision film or InteguSeal, to prevent bacterial contamination in the wound, was hardly ever used on the leg (2% vs 6%). Seventy percent of the OT nurses answered that the leg was disinfected with Chlorhexidine once again before the dressing was applicated. Most often an OT nurse applicated the dressing. About half of them used a semi-permeable film dressing. 
Regarding feed-back on incidence of wound infections, 45% reported that they never received feed-back, 37% sometimes and 18 % reported that they received feed-back on a regular basis.
Conclusions: Overall, the clinical routines for skin preparation and infection control is in Swedish thoracic departments are concordant. The Swedish OT nurses are responsible for many infection control measures including the maintenance of an aseptic environment. However, routines for feed-back and follow up on the infection incidence can be improved.

Current practice and Swedish OR nurses peri-operative routines regarding saphenous vein harvesting during coronary artery bypass surgery