The importance of pre-operative skin preparation to a surgical facility's infection control and prevention protocol is perhaps most evident in the issue of surgical site infections. Although many post-surgical wound infections are minor in nature, the risk always exists that they'll result in prolonged illness, hospital admission or re-admission and even death. Clearly, they're a hazard that any infection control program must take seriously. In addition to exquisite surgical technique and appropriate pre-op antibiotic prophylaxis, effective and persistent skin antisepsis is fundamental to reducing the risk that patients will develop post-op surgical site infections. Here's a review of the basics.