There are many factors in the patient’s
journey through surgery which contribute
to their risk of Surgical Site Infection (SSI) – for example, the patients themselves represent a large threat.
This is the place where you find
assistance for patient preparation.
Compact and illustrative.
Core Measures
The best possible and lowest-risk patient care is the crucial basis of every surgical procedure. In this context, the germ colonisation of the patient himself is also of particular importance.
Therefore, the most important measures for preparing the patient for surgery are listed here.
Guideline-compliant. Compact. Illustrative. Expanded with 200 years of HARTMANNs expertise.
Preoperative bathing
Is full body washing recommended
for all patients the day before
surgery? Is an antiseptic wash
recommended?
Answers to these questions you can find here…
Answers to these questions you can find here…
Patient clothing
Some points are of importance for the specific theatre wear of patients:1
- easy access to the operative site
- areas for placing devices
- comfort and dignity
Hair removal
Numerous studies have shown: Elimination of preoperative shaving correlates with a lower risk of SSI.2
Mechanical bowelpreparation and useof oral antibiotics
By using both measures in combination, SSI, ileus and anastomotic leckage can be significantly reduced.2
Decolonisation of Staphylococcus aureuscarriage
A high proportion of SSI caused by S. aureus is due to the fact that the patients themselves are nasal carriers of this pathogen.2
Patient Empowerment
The patient is a potential recipient and also a potential carrier of nosocomial pathogens. In this respect, it makes sense to inform patients about basic infection prevention measures.
Wound drain
Removing of wound drain is
suggested when clinically indicated.
There is no evidence for an optimal
timing for wound drain removal.3
Get informed here…
Get informed here…
Complementary Measures
Prevention of SSI includes not only hygiene measures but also therapeutic steps, structural conditions, and corresponding measures.
HARTMANN provides comprehensive information on the recommendations of international institutions like the WHO – even if they go beyond hygienic measures – to create a source for you to find everything in one place.
Further Recommendations
Find here a discussion about e.g.
perioperative oxygenation and
blood glucose control
Bundle Measures
For the prevention of SSI, it has proven effective to combine particularly important measures into a bundle of measures, to train on the bundle, and to monitor compliance with the bundle in the form of self-monitoring.1
Find new ideas here to combine measures and more…
Preoperative Patient Skin Antisepsis
Depending on the upcoming
procedure and the patient's
colonisation, a patient preparation
checklist includes…
… a manageable list of fixed and variable items.
… a manageable list of fixed and variable items.
Surgical Team Preparation
Do you have a standardized practice to prepare for surgical procedures?
OR Basics
Even apparent and self-evident facts in the prevention of SSI should be regularly refreshed and communicated.
Measures at a Glance
Surgical site infection prevention is a task in which different sections are involved.
Find here all relevant measures and information per perspective to create your individual infection prevention bundle!
For an easier daily routine with infection prevention.
Surgery & Procedure
- Surgical Hand Antisepsis
- Surgical gloves and surgical attire
- Surgical Site Preparation
- Surgical Irrigation
- Surgical Wound
- Equipment
- Wound Drain
- Further recommendations
OR Team
- Behavior of OR team
- Work attire and Personal Protective Equipment
- Surgical Hand Antisepsis
- Surgical gloves and attire
- Surgical Site Preparation
- Surgical irrigation
- Hand Hygiene
- Surgical wound
- Further recommendations
Patient
- Preoperative bathing
- Patient clothing
- Hair removal
- Mechanical bowel preparation and use of oral antibiotics
- Decolonization of Staphylococcus aureus carriage
- Further recommendations
Cleaning & Disinfection
- Surface Cleaning
- Surface Disinfection
- Equipment
Anesthetist & Team
- Work attire and Personal Protective Equipment
- Patient Perioperative Warming
- Perioperative surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP)
- Behavior of OR team
- Hand Hygiene
- Further recommendations
General
- Hand Hygiene
- Perioperative surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP)
- Work attire and Personal Protective Equipment
- Surgical Hand Antisepsis
- Behavior of OR team
- Surveillance
- Structural Conditions
References:
1. NICE (2019) Surgical site infections: prevention and treatment. NICE guidelines. Published 11 April 2019. www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng125.
2. KRINKO (2018) Prävention postoperativer Wundinfektionen. Empfehlungen der Kommission für Krankenhaushygiene und Infektionsprävention (KRINKO) beim Robert Koch-Institut. Bundesgesundheitsbl 61: 448–473.
3. WHO. Global guidelines for the prevention of surgical site infection. World Health Organization 2016.