Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Evaluation of a chemical depilatory for preoperative preparation of five hundred fifteen surgical patients

1962; Elsevier BV; Volume: 104; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0002-9610(62)90466-x

1879-1883

A Prigot, Arthur L. Garnes, Uzo Nwagbo,

Digital Imaging in Medicine

Abstract A hair removing cream was employed in the preoperative preparation of 515 patients. The surgical procedures necessitated depilation which involved all regions of the body. The superiority of the cream over shaving technics was established in 470 of 526 applications, the body surfaces were left clean and smooth with no scratching nor excoriation of the skin. In appearance and odor the cream is acceptable to patients. Nurses report that its consistency and ease of application and removal facilitated the preparation of surgical patients, hair was removed from body crevices, inflamed or sensitive areas, and around lacerations with rapidity and without discomfort. Although the bacterial inhibitory properties are limited, the compound is sterile. In animal studies, it effectively removed hair and cellular debris, was nonirritating and non-toxic and did not interfere with the healing of experimental wounds. Histologic comparison of dermal sections from the same patient, one operative site shaved and the other prepared with the depilatory, revealed no tissue reaction to the chemical compound. In plastic surgery and autografts of the skin, there was no interference with the "take" of the graft. A low order of allergenicity was found in patch tests in 100 patients. Side reactions in preoperative hair removal are reported thirty-seven times in 526 applications. The majority of these manifestations were mild in character and of short duration. Three case histories detail other factors accountable for adverse reactions and emphasize precautions in the topical application of any chemical substance.