Obstetrics and gynecology
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Obstetrics and gynecology · Dec 2010
EditorialA simple checklist for preventing major complications associated with cesarean delivery.
I propose a simple, evidence-based, eight-item checklist that, if followed, should reduce the frequency of many of the most serious complications associated with cesarean delivery: endometritis, wound infection, wound disruption, thrombophlebitis, and uterine scar dehiscence in a subsequent pregnancy. The frequency of abdominal wound infections can be reduced significantly by using electric clippers, rather than a razor, to remove the hair at the site of the surgical incision, washing the skin with a chlorhexidine solution, and administering broad-spectrum antibiotic prophylaxis before the start of surgery rather than after the neonate's umbilical cord has been clamped. ⋯ Closure of the deep subcutaneous layer in patients whose subcutaneous tissue is greater than 2 cm in thickness will significantly reduce the risk of seroma, hematoma, and subsequent wound disruption. Institution of appropriate prophylaxis for deep vein thrombosis in intermediate and high-risk patients will reduce the risk of subsequent thromboembolic events.