Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai announced it reduced colorectal surgical site infections by more than 60 percent through a collaborative quality improvement project.
The project, led by The Joint Commission's Center for Transforming Healthcare, included six other hospitals that measured colorectal SSI rates from March 2011 to March 2012 and established or modified evidence-based protocols to reduce the rate.
Through this process, Cedars-Sinai reduced the rate of postoperative SSIs after colorectal surgeries from 15 percent to less than 5 percent within six months. The rate continued to decline below 5 percent through July 2012, which is the most recent data available.
Here are six practices Cedars-Sinai implemented to reduce colorectal SSIs:
1. Patients used chlorhexidine antiseptic solution to shower the evening and morning before surgery.
2. Surgical teams prepared operative sites with a sterile chlorhexidine and alcohol antiseptic solution prior to surgery. After surgery, patients were bathed with chlorhexidine wipes daily.
3. Antibiotics used immediately prior to surgery were standardized. For operations lasting more than four hours, a second dose of antibiotics was administered to reduce infection risk.
4. Use of wound protectors was encouraged to reduce contamination of the skin while handling the intestines.
5. After completing the contaminated portion of colorectal procedures, members of surgical teams changed to new gowns and gloves, used new instruments and re-draped operative sites with sterile covers.
6. Used Q-tips daily to release contaminated fluid trapped in wounds in some cases of wounds considered to be at high risk for infection.
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The project, led by The Joint Commission's Center for Transforming Healthcare, included six other hospitals that measured colorectal SSI rates from March 2011 to March 2012 and established or modified evidence-based protocols to reduce the rate.
Through this process, Cedars-Sinai reduced the rate of postoperative SSIs after colorectal surgeries from 15 percent to less than 5 percent within six months. The rate continued to decline below 5 percent through July 2012, which is the most recent data available.
Here are six practices Cedars-Sinai implemented to reduce colorectal SSIs:
1. Patients used chlorhexidine antiseptic solution to shower the evening and morning before surgery.
2. Surgical teams prepared operative sites with a sterile chlorhexidine and alcohol antiseptic solution prior to surgery. After surgery, patients were bathed with chlorhexidine wipes daily.
3. Antibiotics used immediately prior to surgery were standardized. For operations lasting more than four hours, a second dose of antibiotics was administered to reduce infection risk.
4. Use of wound protectors was encouraged to reduce contamination of the skin while handling the intestines.
5. After completing the contaminated portion of colorectal procedures, members of surgical teams changed to new gowns and gloves, used new instruments and re-draped operative sites with sterile covers.
6. Used Q-tips daily to release contaminated fluid trapped in wounds in some cases of wounds considered to be at high risk for infection.
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