Does OR staff who wear nail polish and finger rings increase your SSI rates? According to a new study, the answer isn't clear.

Researchers haven't performed enough studies to determine any affect nail polish and rings may have on surgical site infections, a new Cochrane System Database Review suggests.

The review looked for randomized controlled trials published in several large databases through July 2014. Researchers found that there were no eligible studies looking at how finger rings impact infection rates, and only 1 eligible study that compared nail polish and bacterial count. In that small study, researchers found no significant difference in bacterial count on the hands of OR staff that wore no polish, fresh polish or old polish on their fingernails.

"This systematic review revealed that there remains no evidence to indicate whether removing nail polish and finger rings affects the rate of SSIs after surgery," according to AORN, who appraised the review in its latest AORN Journal.

In its evidence appraisal, AORN noted that more randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate whether nail polish or rings have an impact on SSI rates. Until then, the group says your policies and procedures should be based on expert opinions and institutional guidelines. AORN recommends that unchipped nail polish may be worn by OR staff, while chipped polish, gel, shellac and artificial nails should not be allowed. AORN also recommends OR staff remove rings.

Kendal Gapinski