If life-threatening injuries prevent hair removal before transfer to the OR, the best course of action for prepping the area is to:

• A. Leave the hair at the incision site and prep the patient
• B. Use a razor and 3\" cloth tape to remove the hair
• C. Moisten the area to be prepped and use a disposable clipper
• D. Use a depilatory cream on the surgical site

Answer: (C)

In an emergent situation where life-threatening injuries prevent hair removal before transfer, the priority is to prep the area quickly and safely without causing additional harm. Moistening the skin helps the clipper blades glide smoothly, reduces friction, and minimizes heat and skin irritation. Using a disposable clipper to remove hair provides effective trimming with reduced risk of microabrasions or nicks compared with shaving with a razor on dry skin. It also helps limit infection risk by using sterile or single-use equipment and avoids chemical exposure from depilatories on broken or injured skin. Hair removal with tape or depilatory creams is less reliable and can irritate or injure damaged tissue, whereas clipping yields a clean, drapable field rapidly.