A multidisciplinary team at a children's hospital developed and tested the efficacy of a pre-, peri- and postoperative bundle to combat spinal fusion surgical site infections in a study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
Elements of the bundle included improving wound care practices, boosting the nursing standard of care with a dedicated nursing unit, adding a dermatology assessment tool and consultation, and a nursing education tool.
Between January 2011 and February 2015, there was a 71 percent decrease in the average spinal fusion SSI rate. According to the authors of the study, the bundle could be reproduced for other surgeries as well.