Surgical site infections are the second most common healthcare-associated infection, but 40 percent to 60 percent of SSIs are preventable, according to an article in the AORN Journal.
"Preventing SSIs is a national priority," Lisa Spruce, DNP, RN, the director of evidence based best practices for the Association of periOperative Nurses, wrote in the piece. "Bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, making SSI prevention even more important today."
In the report, Ms. Spruce provides the following 10 recommendations for preventing SSIs. Perioperative personnel should:
• Clean their hands often with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and perform appropriate hand scrubs
• Use appropriate technique and antiseptic to perform surgical skin antisepsis
• Wear clean scrub attire
• Keep OR traffic to a minimum
• Follow environmental cleaning protocols
• Engage with patients and family members who have experience with an SSI to develop prevention strategies
• Follow a surgical safety checklist
• Promote a team-based approach to SSI prevention
• Minimize the use of immediate use steam sterilization
• Clean instruments before sterilizing or disinfecting
By following these steps and preventing SSIs, hospitals can save money (as the cost of SSI treatment averages at roughly $25,000 per infection) and prevent patient harm and death, Ms. Spruce wrote.
More Articles on Surgical Site Infections:
OR Briefings Improve Teamwork, Patient Outcomes: Study
States' Progress in Reducing SSIs After Hysterectomy
Beyond the Basics: 3 Additional Steps to Prevent SSIs