Strategies to prevent surgical site infections in acute care hospitals: 2014 update

Revisiting Perioperative Hair Removal Practices

The standard of practice for perioperative hair removal is largely based on research that is outdated and underpowered. Although there is evidence to support the practice of clipping instead of shaving, current recommendations are to remove hair only when absolutely necessary. Human hair is bacteria-laden and challenging to disinfect, and clipping can be a safe method of hair removal that does not damage the skin. This article considers the removal of hair at the incision site with clippers, either before the patient enters the OR or in a manner that completely contains clipped hair, for every procedure, not just when absolutely necessary. There have been only two studies to date comparing clipping with no hair removal; more research is needed on this subject.

D-PLEX100 in an Abdominal Surgery Incision Model in Miniature Swine: Safety Study

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a common surgical-related complication. To avoid these complications, a new biodegradable polymer-lipid encapsulation matrix that provides controlled release of doxycycline (doxycycline/polymer-lipid encapsulation matrix [D-PLEX]) has been developed. The aim of this comprehensive study was to evaluate the potential safety of D-PLEX₁₀₀ in abdominal surgical site. D-PLEX₁₀₀ was administered into incisions of abdominal surgical site in Yucatan miniature swine, which were followed for up to 6 months and compared to sham-control swine. The D-PLEX₁₀₀ mass did not migrate from the incisional site, and there was no evidence for systemic toxicity or other safety concerns. Surgical incision sites, including the peritoneal surface, were fully healed at 6 months in all animals. Most of the D-PLEX₁₀₀ mass was absorbed during the first 3 months, and by 6 months, D-PLEX₁₀₀ was fully absorbed. Toxicokinetic evaluation revealed that doxycycline concentrations were evident at 30 minutes and persisted to 8 days (71 mg/kg) or at least 15 days (284 mg/kg) and were no longer present in plasma by day 29. This study supports the safety of D-PLEX₁₀₀ and its favorable degradability profile. A clinical study is being performed to assess the safety and the efficacy of D-PLEX₁₀₀ to prevent human abdominal SSIs.

Trends in bacterial resistance among perioperative infections in patients with primary ovarian cancer: A retrospective 20-year study at an affiliated hospital in South China

Background

We aimed to analyze the epidemiological and drug-resistance trends among bacterial cultures from perioperative infections in patients with primary ovarian cancer.

Methods

Medical and bacteriological records for patients with ovarian cancer patients who developed perioperative infections after primary cytoreductive surgery from 1999 to 2018 were reviewed retrospectively.

Results

The incidence of perioperative infections and the culture-positive percentage among patients in the first 10 years were 20.2% and 29.3%, respectively, and the equivalent rates in the second 10 years were 18.0% and 33.5%. The most commonly isolated pathogens in both year-groups were Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp., but the respective percentages differed between the groups. Some strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus spp. in the second 10-year group were resistant to linezolid and vancomycin, and ciprofloxacin resistance among Gram-negative bacteria isolates also increased in this group. However, resistance of Gram-negative bacteria to imipenem and meropenem was low among in both groups.

Conclusion

The pathogen distribution in perioperative infections in patients with primary ovarian cancer undergoing cytoreductive changed slightly from 1999 to 2018, and the antibiotic resistance of the main isolated pathogens increased. These results indicate the importance of periodic bacterial surveillance of surgical infections in these patients.

Influence of early postoperative showering in undressed surgical wound for better clinical outcome

Surgeons instruct the patients to avoid postoperative bathing and dress the wounds until the sutures are removed. All wounds were sutured at the end of surgery and kept undressed. Participants received a tap water body bath where the water covered the wound after 24h of surgery. The control group were asked not to wet the dressed surgical site until wound inspection on days 3 and 5. The patients were followed up in the surgery clinic on days 14 and 30 after surgery, when age, sex and type of surgery-matched controls' surgical site infection was significantly high in clean/contaminated and contaminated appendicectomy, breast lump excision, inguinal herniotomy and tendon repair surgeries. In contaminated appendicectomy, clean/contaminated and contaminated herniotomies postsurgical infections other than surgical site infection were significantly low in test groups. Early mobilisation, keeping the surgical wounds moist and providing a clean environment are suitable to minimise the surgical wound and other associated infections.

Spine Infections Reduced at Dedicated Orthopaedics and Spine Hospital

BACKGROUND

Previous studies stratified postoperative infection risk by patient comorbidities. However, it is unclear whether the incidence varies by surgical approach in a specialized orthopaedic setting. This study aims to compare infection rates and microbiologic characteristics of postoperative spine infections requiring return to the operating room for debridement by hospital setting: a dedicated orthopaedic and spine hospital versus a general hospital serving multiple surgical specialties.

METHODS

The study is a retrospective review of prospectively collected data. Procedures performed between March 2006 and August 2008 at the multispecialty university hospital were compared with cases at an orthopaedic specialty hospital from September 2008 through August 2016. The surgeons, residents, and patients were similar, but the operative venue changed in 2008.

RESULTS

The overall general university hospital infection rate was 2.03%, higher than the overall infection rate at the dedicated orthopaedic and spine hospital of 1.31% (P < .0104). The general university infection rate was 2.27% in the final years of practice, compared with 0.91% at the dedicated orthopaedic and spine hospital (P < .0001) during a recent 2-year time frame. Demographic variables did not significantly differ between the 2 settings. The overall proportion of Gram-negative infection rates was not statistically different (21.7% vs 18.6%), despite an increased proportion of Gram-negative infections at the general university hospital following surgery from an anterior approach. Most of the organisms isolated in both facilities were Staphylococcus species. There was no difference in the seasonality of postoperative spine infections in either setting.

CONCLUSIONS

In transitioning from a multispecialty university hospital to a dedicated orthopaedic hospital, the incidence of postoperative spine infections was significantly reduced to 0.91%. Despite the change in venue, the proportion of Gram-negative infections (∼20%) following spine surgery did not significantly change. These results suggest improved infection rates during the course of the last 10 years with consistent proportions of Gram-negative infections.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

3.

Usefulness of a circumferential wound retractor in emergency colorectal surgery as a preventive measure for surgical site infection. Alexis O-Ring® and emergency surgery

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS

More than 20% of healthcare-associated infections correspond to those at surgical sites, and there is a higher incidence of infections in colorectal surgery due to the associated bacterial load. Surgical wound protectors are designed to prevent contamination and mechanical trauma. Our aim was to demonstrate the usefulness of a circumferential wound retractor/protector for the prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs) in emergency colorectal surgery.

METHODS

Forty-one patients that underwent emergency open surgery at a tertiary care hospital were randomized into 2 groups: 20 cases without the retractor (group A) and 21 cases with the retractor (group B). Subjects were assigned to a group in a 1:1 randomization allocation ratio. The chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were employed for the quantitative variables, and the statistical analysis was performed using the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software for Mac, version 16.0 (IBM SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).

RESULTS

The SSI rate was 17%. Six group A patients developed SSI versus one group B patient. The use of a circumferential wound retractor/protector was statistically significant for the prevention of surgical wound infections, with a P=.031 and an OR of 8.5. In addition, preoperative blood glucose levels below 200mg/dl provided a 3.2-times higher protective effect, compared with glucose levels above 200mg/dl.

CONCLUSIONS

In the present prospective randomized pilot study, the use of the circumferential wound retractor/protector significantly decreased the likelihood of SSI in emergency colorectal surgery.

Main prophylactic measures in bariatric endoscopy. Spanish Expert Recommendations Guideline

Bariatric endoscopy (BE) encompasses a number of techniques -some consolidated, some under development- aiming to contribute to the management of obese patients and their associated metabolic diseases as a complement to dietary and lifestyle changes. To date different intragastric balloon models, suture systems, aspiration methods, substance injections and both gastric and duodenal malabsorptive devices have been developed, as well as endoscopic procedures for the revision of bariatric surgery. Their ongoing evolution conditions a gradual increase in the quantity and quality of scientific evidence about their effectiveness and safety. Despite this, scientific evidence remains inadequate to establish strong grades of recommendation allowing a unified perspective on prophylaxis in BE. This dearth of data conditions leads, in daily practice, to frequently extrapolate the measures that are used in bariatric surgery (BS) and/or in general therapeutic endoscopy. In this respect, this special article is intended to reach a consensus on the most common prophylactic measures we should apply in BE. The methodological design of this document was developed while attempting to comply with the following 5 phases: Phase 1: delimitation and scope of objectives, according to the GRADE Clinical Guidelines. Phase 2: setup of the Clinical Guide-developing Group: national experts, members of the Grupo Español de Endoscopia Bariátrica (GETTEMO, SEED), SEPD, and SECO, selecting 2 authors for each section. Phase 3: clinical question form (PICO): patients, intervention, comparison, outcomes. Phase 4: literature assessment and synthesis. Search for evidence and elaboration of recommendations. Based on the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine classification, most evidence in this article will correspond to level 5 (expert opinions without explicit critical appraisal) and grade of recommendation C (favorable yet inconclusive recommendation) or D (inconclusive or inconsistent studies). Phase 5: External review by experts. We hope that these basic preventive measures will be of interest for daily practice, and may help prevent medical and/or legal conflicts for the benefit of patients, physicians, and BE in general.

Closed Incision Negative Pressure Therapy Achieves Better Outcome Than Standard Wound Care: Clinical Outcome and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Open Ventral Hernia Repair With Synthetic Mesh Positioning

Background Surgical site infections (SSIs) and surgical site occurrences (SSOs) are frequent post-operative complications that are dependent on the presence of different risk factors. The use of closed incision negative pressure therapy (ciNPT) is considered a measure by the WHO guidelines for prevention of SSIs. The prevention of SSOs is an extremely important issue in the ventral hernia repair (VHR) surgical field. SSO onset not only affects the patient's quality of life, but can also cause the onset of life-threatening conditions that may require re-hospitalization, re-intervention and often mesh removal. Such outcome can become extremely costly, contributing to increased health care costs for the patient as well as the hospital. This study aims (1) to describe the epidemiological characteristics of SSOs following VHR in our experience; (2) to compare the post-operative outcomes of those who underwent VHR with synthetic mesh when treated with standard wound care (SWC) using gauze dressings vs ciNPT, and finally (3) to perform a spending review of the ciNPT in the hypothesis of its application after VHR with use of synthetic prosthetic material; financial savings including cost-effectiveness were investigated in terms of prevention of wound complications. Materials and methods A retrospective review was performed on patients who underwent open VHR with synthetic mesh positioning by analyzing the hospital medical records between January 2015 and December 2017, with a primary focus on high risk post-operative complications, such as age > 65, pre-existed wound infection, pulmonary diseases, BMI > 25 kg/m2, malnutrition, ascites, hypertension, diabetes, active smoking, previous radiation therapy, steroid use, pharmacological immunosuppression, chronic inflammatory diseases. In the final analysis, the outcomes of 70 patients who received ciNPT and 110 who were managed with using adherent gauze dressings were compared. Results Nine (12.8%) patients in the ciNPT group and 48 (43.6%) in the control group developed a wound complication (p < 0.0001). The relative risk (RR) was 0.29 (0.15 - 0.56), suggesting that infection is less likely to occur in ciNPT-treated incisions, compared with standard wound care. The differences observed between the superficial infection rate and the deep infection rate were significant with p respectively 0.0006 and 0.04. Wound complications were reported in patients after discharge from the hospital. Fever was reported in 28.6% of patients in the ciNPT group vs 54.5% in the control group (p = 0.0006; RR (95% CI) 0.52 (0.35 - 0.79); OR (95% CI) 0.33 (0.18 - 0.63)); leukocytosis affected 21.4% of patients treated with ciNPT vs 45.4% of patients in the control group (p = 0.001; RR (95% CI) 0.47 (0.29 - 0.77); OR 0.33 (0.16 - 0.65)). ciNPT patients had shorter hospitalization stay than control group (3 ± 1.37 vs 6 ± 2.39; p < 0.00001). The cost-effectiveness deterministic analysis estimated that if the ciNPT is routinely adopted, the reduction of total costs would be €166'944.00 for 100 patients. Conclusions This study demonstrates that ciNPT use in high-risk populations following VHR with synthetic mesh positioning is associated with positive clinical and economic outcomes.

Intervention to reduce the incidence of surgical site infection in spine surgery

BACKGROUND

This study examines the incidence, characteristics, and risk factors of surgical site infections (SSIs) after spine surgery and evaluates the efficacy of a preventive intervention.

METHODS

This was a quasi-experimental pretest/posttest study in patients undergoing spinal surgery in an orthopedic surgery department from December 2014 to November 2016. Based on the results of the study, we revised the preventive protocol with modification of wound dressing, staff training, and feedback. SSI rates were compared between the pre-intervention (December 2014 to November 2015) and post-intervention (December 2015 to November 2016) periods. The risk factors were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

Of the 139 patients included, 14 cases of SSI were diagnosed, with a significant decrease in the incidence of SSIs from the pre-intervention period to the post-intervention period (19.4% vs 2.6%; P = .001). The etiology was known in 13 cases, with enteric flora being predominant in the pre-intervention group. Univariate analysis showed that age, body mass index, days until sitting and ambulation, and incontinence were statistically significant risk factors. After multivariate analysis, only body mass index and days until ambulation remained significant. When the effect of intervention was adjusted with other risk factors, this variable remained statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

An intervention that includes modification of wound dressing and early mobilization, as well as staff awareness training, monitoring, and feedback, allowed a significant reduction in the incidence of SSI following spinal surgery, particularly infections caused by enteric flora.

Impact of a surgical site infection bundle on cesarean delivery infection rates

BACKGROUND

This study investigated cesarean delivery surgical site infection (SSI) rates before and after implementation of a SSI care bundle.

METHODS

A SSI bundle for cesareans was introduced in our hospital in April 2014 to reduce the SSI rate. The practices were divided into bundle elements that reflected preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate implementation of the SSI care bundle. Women were included if they had a gestational age of at least 23 0/7 weeks and delivered a liveborn neonate(s) between 2012 and 2015. They were then divided into 2 study groups: pre-bundle and post-bundle. The primary study outcome was SSI rate. Secondary outcomes included comorbidities, perioperative factors, and SSI classification.

RESULTS

The overall incidence of cesarean SSIs during the study time period was 1.89 (76 SSIs in 4014 cesarean deliveries). The pre-bundle mean was 2.44 and decreased to 1.1 following implementation of the SSI bundle (P = .013). This represents a 221% reduction in the SSI rate. Patient demographics and pre-existing medical conditions were similar pre- and post-bundle. Compliance with bundle elements was high.

CONCLUSIONS

A significant reduction in SSI rate in cesarean deliveries was seen following implementation of an infection prevention bundle.

Intraoperative Irrigation: Fluid Administration and Management Amidst Conflicting Evidence

Surgeons use irrigation during open cavity procedures to improve their view of the patient's anatomy and to reduce the patient's risk of infection. However, there are no standard guidelines that recommend a specific type of fluid, additive, or volume of irrigation to use during open procedures. Intraoperative hypothermia can occur if irrigation fluids have not been warmed or have cooled before use, causing adverse patient outcomes. In addition, failing to manage (eg, measure and document) fluid volume accurately may affect clinical decision making and cause other complications. Perioperative personnel should evaluate new technologies that may improve the efficiency and accuracy of irrigation temperature and volume measurements. More research is needed to develop standardized practice guidelines for intraoperative irrigation and fluid management.

Neurosurgical Post-Operative Wound Infections: A retrospective study on surgical site infections for quality improvement

Despite efforts to maintain a meticulous aseptic environment, wound infection is one of the most common complications following surgery and may be related to dehiscence, haemorrhage, infection, and/or poor surgical technique. With the appearance of new wound closure techniques and suture materials, we felt compelled to perform a retrospective study on our institution's neurosurgical population to determine how our institution compared to others in terms of incidence of surgical site infection (SSI). A retrospective analysis was performed at our single institution for all patients that had cranial or spine surgery by a neurosurgeon for the past 15 years. The data were extracted via Crimson Continuum of Care software program and analysed using χ² and relative risk. The data retrieval software program collected a total of 1184 cranial and spinal surgeries. Of these 1184 cases, 12 resulted in post-operative wound infections. Using these collected values, we compared the results with published values in the literature. Prior studies have shown that up to 33% of surgical cases have post-operative infections. Using this reported value in comparison with our data, χ² testing equals 547.893 with 1 df, P = .0001 (confidence interval = 0.05), which demonstrated statistical significance when compared with surgical literature. The results from this retrospective analysis demonstrated that the rate of neurosurgical post-operative SSI falls within the range consistent with the literature, which has shown rates of infection from <1% up to 15% depending on the type of surgery, surgical technique, and patient characteristics. SSIs can be an unfortunate and costly post-operative complication. Risks factors in the past have been studied, but introspection by each institution is an important metric to ensure accountability and provide optimal patient care in comparison with established data and guidelines. No deviation from current techniques is deemed necessary at our institution based on the results.

Introduction of a care bundle effectively and sustainably reduces patient-reported surgical site infection in patients undergoing colorectal surgery

BACKGROUND

Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common healthcare-associated infections and is particularly prevalent following colorectal surgery. It is associated with an increase in patient morbidity and healthcare costs. SSI is difficult to monitor as it frequently presents after discharge from hospital, especially if enhanced recovery programmes are in place.

AIM

To develop an effective method for measuring patient-reported 30-day SSI in patients undergoing colorectal resection. To implement a new care bundle capable of delivering a sustainable reduction in SSI.

METHODS

The Public Health England SSI surveillance questionnaire was used. Several data collection methods were tested including postal and telephone-based systems. A new SSI bundle was introduced in our centre incorporating four evidence-based interventions: 2% chlorhexidine skin preparation; repeat-dose antibiotics after 4 h; dual-ring wound protectors; and triclosan-coated sutures for wound closure. System changes were introduced to ensure that the change was sustainable.

FINDINGS

The most reliable method of measuring patient-reported SSI was found to be postal questionnaire with telephone calls made to non-responders. Response rates to the SSI surveillance questionnaire were consistently >75%. Introduction of the new care bundle produced a significant reduction in SSI from 20% to 10% (P ≤ 0.0001) which has been sustained for six years.

CONCLUSION

This is a reliable method for measuring 30-day patient-reported SSI rates. The introduction of this new care bundle has halved the rate of SSI from 20% to 10%.

Evaluation of Pediatric Surgical Site Infections Associated with Colorectal Surgeries at an Academic Children's Hospital

Appropriate use of antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) is a key measure for the prevention of surgical site infections (SSI) in colorectal surgeries; however, despite the presence of national and international guidelines, compliance with AP recommendations remains low. The purpose of this study is to evaluate compliance with recommendations for the use of AP in children undergoing colorectal surgeries and to evaluate the effectiveness of antibiotics in the prevention of SSI. We collected demographic and clinical characteristics of patients who underwent colorectal surgeries, as well as microbiological and antimicrobial susceptibility data for patients who developed SSI. AP data were collected and compared with national guidelines. Antibiotic dosing and duration were most frequently in concordance with national guidelines, while antibiotic timing and selection had the lowest rates of compliance. Twelve of the 192 colorectal procedures evaluated resulted in SSI. Only 2 of the 12 children with SSI received appropriate AP for all four categories evaluated. Eight cases that resulted in SSI were due to organisms not covered by the recommended AP. We identified multiple areas for the improvement of AP in children undergoing colorectal surgery. A multidisciplinary approach to development of standardized protocols, educational interventions, and EHR-based algorithms may facilitate or improve appropriate AP use.

Perioperative Strategies for Surgical Site Infection Prevention

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are some of the most common and costly health care-associated infections. Although the rate of SSIs has declined significantly in the past decade, patient safety remains at risk. Perioperative nurses employ a variety of evidence-based best practices to prevent SSIs and facilitate a safe surgical experience for their patients, including hand hygiene, preoperative patient skin antisepsis, and antimicrobial irrigation. This article explores the causes of SSIs, such as modifiable and nonmodifiable patient factors and preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative procedural factors, and discusses some of the specific recommended strategies related to the prevention of SSIs that perioperative nurses can initiate in their workplace.

Closed Incision Negative Pressure Therapy in Morbidly Obese Women Undergoing Cesarean Delivery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy of incisional negative pressure wound therapy in the prevention of postoperative wound morbidity in women with class III obesity undergoing cesarean delivery.

METHODS

In an open label randomized controlled trial, women admitted for delivery with class III obesity (body mass index 40 or higher) measured within 2 weeks of admission for delivery were offered participation in the study. They were consented either in the outpatient maternal-fetal medicine specialty clinic, during admission to labor and delivery and before a decision to perform cesarean delivery, or in the preoperative area of the hospital before scheduled cesarean delivery. Exclusion criteria included anticoagulation therapy, human immunodeficiency virus infection, and silver or acrylic allergy. Those who ultimately underwent cesarean delivery were randomized to standard surgical dressing or incisional negative pressure wound therapy dressing. The primary outcome was wound morbidity. Preplanned secondary outcomes included characteristics of composite wound morbidity, and hospital, emergency room, and clinic utilization. The sample size estimate required randomization of 440 women to detect a 50% decrease in composite outcome.

RESULTS

Between January 1, 2015, and July 31, 2016, 850 women were screened and 677 women with class III obesity were enrolled. Of these, 441 underwent cesarean delivery and were subsequently randomized (219 to standard dressing and 222 to incisional negative pressure wound therapy). The primary outcome, overall composite wound morbidity rate, was 18%. This was not different between the two cohorts (incisional negative pressure wound therapy 17% vs standard dressing 19%, relative risk 0.9 [95% CI 0.5-1.4]).

CONCLUSION

Prophylactic incisional negative pressure wound therapy use did not reduce postoperative wound morbidity when compared with a standard surgical dressing in women with class III obesity.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02289157.

Pattern of Peri-Operative Antibiotic Use among Surgical Patients in a Regional Referral and Teaching Hospital in Uganda

Background: Prolonged surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (SAP) to prevent surgical site infection (SSI) is generally discouraged after completion of surgery. However, little is known about the pattern of peri-operative antibiotic use in resource-limited settings. We aimed to describe its use at a typical government hospital in Uganda. Methods: A study was originally conducted in a rural Ugandan regional referral and teaching hospital in 2014 and 2015 to improve hand hygiene practice and measure its impact on health-care-associated infections including SSI (WardGel study). This is a secondary analysis of the data from the WardGel study to assess the frequency of peri-operative antibiotic use among surgical patients. Results: Of 3,627 patients enrolled into the original study, 960 (26.5%) underwent surgery at the hospital and 907 patients (94.5%) received antibiotic agents during hospitalization. Of these, 880 patients (97.0%, of 907 patients) received antibiotic agents on the day of surgery. A combination of ceftriaxone and metronidazole was the most common regimen (609/907 patients, 67.1%). Thirty-six of 907 patients (4.0%) started and completed their antibiotic agents on the day of surgery. The mean length of antibiotic use during hospitalization was 3.5 days (standard deviation, 3.3). After adjusting for covariates, linear regression analysis showed an extra 1.9 days of antibiotic use post-operatively (95% confidence interval = 1.7-2.3). During the total 4,960 inpatient-days for those having surgery, there were 6,503 days of therapy (DOTs) of antibiotic agents and 1,649 antibiotic-free days (AFDs). Conclusions: Most patients received prolonged antibiotic therapy after surgery. Antimicrobial stewardship for SAP can play a major role in combating antimicrobial resistance in resource-limited settings.

Effective Hand Preparation for Surgical Procedures in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Background: The burden of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) is greatest in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); surgical site infections (SSIs) are the most common HAI in LMICs. Hand hygiene is the single most effective strategy for reducing HAIs and the transmission of antimicrobial drug-resistant pathogens. Similarly, effective surgical hand preparation is a critical step in the prevention of SSIs in the surgical patient. Methods: Surgical hand preparation (SHP) is a seemingly simple activity that is easily overlooked. Performed properly, however, along with other measures, it has the potential to reduce SSIs in LMICs. The article reviews the current state of surgical hand preparation in LMICs. Results: Alcohol-based handrubs (ABHRs) have received wide acceptance by healthcare workers for both hand hygiene and SHP; when mixed with emollients, ABHRs retain efficacy against microorganisms and gain skin tolerability and user acceptability. Healthcare institutions in many LMICs face difficulties obtaining the products needed to ensure effective SHP using ABHRs. Conclusion: The ABHRs are the most efficacious surgical hand preparation products available today. They are cost-effective and can safely be prepared locally in hospitals, even in LMICs. The challenge of access to ABHRs should be addressed by national and local governments, through advocacy by healthcare workers coupled with continued lobbying and campaigns by the World Health Organization. Effective surgical hand preparation, like hand hygiene, saves lives.

CE: Infection in Acute Care: Evidence for Practice

Infection may be either a cause for admission to an acute care hospital or health care associated, a complication of receiving care for another illness in the acute care environment. In recent years, there has been significant research investigating risk factors for infection in the hospital setting, best practices for diagnosis and treatment, and ways to prevent many health care-associated infections. Multidrug-resistant organisms are a consequence of antibiotic overuse, poor environmental hygiene, and our increasing ability to keep chronically ill patients alive longer through invasive intensive care support. This article reviews the evidence on infection in acute care settings, with a focus on community- and hospital-acquired pneumonia, surgical site infections, and Clostridioides difficile infection. Recommendations for integrating this evidence into nursing practice are offered.

Intraoperative and Postoperative Infection Prevention

Implementation of strategies for prevention of surgical site infection and periprosthetic joint infection is gaining further attention. We provide an overview of the pertinent evidence-based guidelines for infection prevention from the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the second International Consensus Meeting on Musculoskeletal Infection. Future work is needed to ascertain clinical efficacy, optimal combinations, and the cost-effectiveness of certain measures.

Perioperative Nutrition Care of Orthopedic Surgery Patient

Despite evidence that malnutrition is associated with significant complications in orthopedic surgery¹, unrecognized malnutrition continues to be a "silent epidemic", effecting up to 50% of hospitalized patients. Specifically, pre-surgical malnutrition is associated with increased risk for surgical site infections, increased length of hospital stay, and increased health care costs in patients following total joint arthroplasty. Serologic markers (i.e. serum albumin and total lymphocyte count), anthropometric measurements, (i.e. calf muscle circumference and triceps skin fold) and assessment and screening tools (i.e. The Rainey-MacDonald Nutritional Index, the Mini Nutrition Assessment Short Form, the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool and the Nutrition Risk Screening 2002) have all been used to aid in the diagnosis of malnutrition in orthopedic patients, yet there is no universal gold standard for screening or assessing nutritional risk and no accepted guideline for perioperative nutritional optimization in this patient population. Recently, the Perioperative Nutrition Screen (PONS) was introduced² as an easy and efficient way to preoperatively identify and risk stratify patients for malnutrition in order to guide perioperative nutrition optimization. Given malnutrition is associated with increased risk of surgical site infections and increased length of hospital stay, adequate assessment of perioperative risk for malnutrition and preoperative nutrition optimization, including structured weight loss in the obese population, consumption of high protein oral nutritional supplements, immunonutrition oral supplements and adequate glucose control, may improve perioperative outcomes. The presence of a Registered Dietician (RD) should be a standard of care in all pre-operative clinics to improve nutrition care and surgical outcomes.

Comparison of skin closure techniques in patients undergoing open pancreaticoduodenectomy: A single center experience

BACKGROUND

This study evaluated closure techniques and incisional surgical site complications (SSCs) and incisional surgical site infections (SSIs) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD).

METHODS

Retrospective review of open PDs from 2015 to 2018 was performed. Outcomes were compared among closure techniques (subcuticular + topical skin adhesive (TSA); staples; subcuticular only). SSCs were defined as abscess, cellulitis, seroma, or fat necrosis. SSIs were defined according to the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP).

RESULTS

Patients with subcuticular + TSA (n = 205) were less likely to develop an incisional SSC (9.8%) compared to staples (n = 139) (20.1%) and subcuticular (n = 74) (16.2%) on univariable analysis (P = 0.024). Multivariable analysis revealed no statistically significant difference in incisional SSC between subcuticular + TSA and subcuticular (P = 0.528); a significant difference remained between subcuticular + TSA and staples (P = 0.014). Unadjusted median length of stay (LOS) (days) was significantly longer for staples (9) vs. subcuticular (8) vs. subcuticular + TSA (7); P < 0.001. Incisional SSIs were evaluated separately according to the NSQIP definition. When comparing rates, the subcuticular + TSA group experienced lower incisional SSIs compared to the other two techniques (4.9% vs. 10.1%, 10.8%). However, this difference was not statistically significant by either univariable or multivariable analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Subcuticular suture + TSA reduces the risk of incisional SSCs when compared to staples alone after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Postoperative Antibiotic Use Among Patients Undergoing Functional Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Importance

Best practices for antibiotic use after facial plastic and reconstructive procedures have been the subject of much debate, and there is a need for large-scale data to guide further development of evidence-based guidelines for antibiotic use in this setting.

Objective

To assess patterns of postoperative antibiotic prescriptions and infection rates after nasal and oculoplastic procedures.

Design, Setting, and Participants

A retrospective population-based cohort study was conducted using IBM MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental research databases of 294 039 patients who underwent facial plastic surgery procedures between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2015. Patients were excluded if they were younger than 18 years, lacked continuous insurance coverage for 1 year before and after the procedure, or underwent additional procedures on the surgery date of interest. Statistical analysis was performed from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2016.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Primary outcomes were antibiotic prescription patterns in the immediate postoperative period and rates of postoperative infectious complications. Explanatory variables included patient demographics, procedure type, and relevant comorbidities, which were used in multivariable logistic regression analysis.

Results

Of the 294 039 patients who met inclusion criteria (55.9% women and 44.1% men; mean [SD] age, 54.0 [18.6 years]), 45.2% filled prescriptions for postoperative antibiotics, including 55.3% of patients undergoing nasal procedures and 14.7% of patients undergoing oculoplastic procedures. Superficial surgical site infections occurred in 1.6% of patients, while deep surgical site infections occurred in 0.3% of patients. On multivariable logistic regression, patients receiving postoperative antibiotics were at significantly decreased risk of postoperative infections (nasal procedures: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.144 [95% CI, 0.102-0.203]; oculoplastic procedures: aOR, 0.254 [95% CI, 0.104-0.622]) compared with those who did not receive postoperative antibiotics. Increased duration of postoperative antibiotics was not associated with reduced rates of infectious complications (nasal procedures: aOR, 1.000 [95% CI, 0.978-1.022]; oculoplastic procedures: aOR, 1.024 [95% CI, 0.959-01.092]). Despite being more likely to experience postoperative infections, patients with a history of tobacco use (aOR, 0.806 [95% CI, 0.747-0.870]), immunodeficiency (aOR, 0.774 [95% CI, 0.737-0.813]), or type 1 or 2 diabetes (aOR, 0.810 [95% CI, 0.772-0.850]) were less likely to be prescribed antibiotics than those without these conditions.

Conclusions and Relevance

Postoperative antibiotic prescriptions were associated with reduced rates of infections after facial plastic surgery. This study highlights the role of population-level data in the development of best practices for postoperative antibiotic use and identifies the need for additional examination of antibiotic use patterns and recommendations for populations at increased risk for postoperative wound infection.

Intraoperative surgical site infection control and prevention: a position paper and future addendum to WSES intra-abdominal infections guidelines

BACKGROUND

Surgical site infections (SSI) represent a considerable burden for healthcare systems. They are largely preventable and multiple interventions have been proposed over past years in an attempt to prevent SSI. We aim to provide a position paper on Operative Room (OR) prevention of SSI in patients presenting with intra-abdominal infection to be considered a future addendum to the well-known World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) Guidelines on the management of intra-abdominal infections.

METHODS

The literature was searched for focused publications on SSI until March 2019. Critical analysis and grading of the literature has been performed by a working group of experts; the literature review and the statements were evaluated by a Steering Committee of the WSES.

RESULTS

Wound protectors and antibacterial sutures seem to have effective roles to prevent SSI in intra-abdominal infections. The application of negative-pressure wound therapy in preventing SSI can be useful in reducing postoperative wound complications. It is important to pursue normothermia with the available resources in the intraoperative period to decrease SSI rate. The optimal knowledge of the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic characteristics of antibiotics helps to decide when additional intraoperative antibiotic doses should be administered in patients with intra-abdominal infections undergoing emergency surgery to prevent SSI.

CONCLUSIONS

The current position paper offers an extensive overview of the available evidence regarding surgical site infection control and prevention in patients having intra-abdominal infections.

Analysis of Air Purification Methods in Operating Rooms of Chinese Hospitals

This research demonstrates the current use of air purification methods in the operating rooms (ORs) in China. 154 hospitals from 6 provinces were included in this survey to reflect the air purification methods of ORs in 2017. Air cleaning technology (ACT) is used in 124 (80.52%) hospitals. We find that the rates of using grade I, III, or IV clean operating room (COR) in tertiary hospitals are all higher than in lower level hospitals; the rate of using ACT in the ORs is higher, too. In addition, general hospitals have higher rate in using ACT in the ORs than specialized hospitals. The highest rate of using ACT in the ORs is in the eastern region of China. The number of hospitals using ACT, ultraviolet light disinfection, and air sterilizers (such as circulating air UV sterilizer) increased yearly. All grades of CORs can be maintained as required by more than 90% hospitals except grade II COR. In this research, we found air purification methods, especially the ACT, are widely used in hospitals' ORs. However, finding the way to select and use different air purification methods correctly is an urgent problem to be solved next.

Computed tomography findings of mediastinitis after cardiovascular surgery

BACKGROUND

To our knowledge, no systematic study has been conducted on computed tomography (CT) imaging of mediastinitis in children post-cardiovascular surgery. We aimed to assess the CT findings of pediatric patients diagnosed with mediastinitis after cardiovascular surgery.

METHODS

We included 28 pediatric patients with suspected mediastinitis after undergoing cardiovascular surgery and who underwent CT. Patients were divided into a group with mediastinitis requiring antibiotic therapy (n = 15) confirmed by positive bacterial culture from the mediastinum and a group without mediastinitis (n = 13). Fisher's exact test was used to compare the following CT findings between the two groups: (i) mediastinal fluid collection; (ii) free gas bubble within fluid collection; (iii) sternal destruction; and (iv) capsular ring enhancement. The enhancement extent was categorized into the following four grades: whole rim enhancement, >50% of the rim enhancement, <50% of the rim enhancement, and no rim enhancement. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to establish a cut-off point for obtaining the maximum diagnostic accuracy.

RESULTS

A significant difference was observed between patients, with and without mediastinitis in sternal destruction (73.6% vs 0%, P = <0.0001) and capsular ring enhancement (100.0% vs 38.5%, P = 0.0004). By using a cut-off grade of the whole rim enhancement, the estimated sensitivity and specificity for mediastinitis diagnosis were 100% and 92.3%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Computed tomography findings of sternal destruction and capsular ring enhancement were observed more in patients with mediastinitis than in those without mediastinitis, and should be assessed carefully to diagnose mediastinitis accurately in pediatric patients who have undergone cardiac surgery.

Novel methodology to measure pre-procedure antimicrobial prophylaxis: integrating text searches with structured data from the Veterans Health Administration's electronic medical record

Background

Antimicrobial prophylaxis is an evidence-proven strategy for reducing procedure-related infections; however, measuring this key quality metric typically requires manual review, due to the way antimicrobial prophylaxis is documented in the electronic medical record (EMR). Our objective was to electronically measure compliance with antimicrobial prophylaxis using both structured and unstructured data from the Veterans Health Administration (VA) EMR. We developed this methodology for cardiac device implantation procedures.

Methods

With clinician input and review of clinical guidelines, we developed a list of antimicrobial names recommended for the prevention of cardiac device infection. We trained the algorithm using existing fiscal year (FY) 2008–15 data from the VA Clinical Assessment Reporting and Tracking-Electrophysiology (CART-EP), which contains manually determined information about antimicrobial prophylaxis. We merged CART-EP data with EMR data and programmed statistical software to flag an antimicrobial orders or drug fills from structured data fields in the EMR and hits on text string searches of antimicrobial names documented in clinician’s notes. We iteratively tested combinations of these data elements to optimize an algorithm to accurately classify antimicrobial use. The final algorithm was validated in a national cohort of VA cardiac device procedures from FY2016–2017. Discordant cases underwent expert manual review to identify reasons for algorithm misclassification.

Results

The CART-EP dataset included 2102 procedures at 38 VA facilities with manually identified antimicrobial prophylaxis in 2056 cases (97.8%). The final algorithm combining structured EMR fields and text note search results correctly classified 2048 of the CART-EP cases (97.4%). In the validation sample, the algorithm measured compliance with antimicrobial prophylaxis in 16,606 of 18,903 cardiac device procedures (87.8%). Misclassification was due to EMR documentation issues, such as antimicrobial prophylaxis documented only in hand-written clinician notes in a format that cannot be electronically searched.

Conclusions

We developed a methodology with high accuracy to measure guideline concordant use of antimicrobial prophylaxis before cardiac device procedures using data fields present in modern EMRs. This method can replace manual review in quality measurement in the VA and other healthcare systems with EMRs; further, this method could be adapted to measure compliance in other procedural areas where antimicrobial prophylaxis is recommended.

In situ Treatment With Novel Microbiocide Inhibits Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a Murine Wound Infection Model

Increased prevalence of antibiotic resistance in skin and soft tissue infections is a concerning public health challenge currently facing medical science. A combinatory, broad spectrum biocidal antiseptic has been developed (“ASP”) as a topically applied solution to potential resistant and polymicrobial infected wounds that may be encountered in this context. The ASP-105 designate was evaluated in vitro by determining the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC), against different strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), resulting estimates of which approximated the positive control (bacitracin). To evaluate in vivo microbicide efficacy, we utilized a murine full thickness wound model to study bacterial infection and wound healing kinetics. Mice were experimentally wounded dorsally and infected with bioluminescent MRSA. The infected wound was splinted, dressed and treated topically with either ASP-105, vehicle (-control), or bacitracin. Bacterial burden and wound healing was monitored using an in vivo imaging system and evaluation of biofilm formation using scanning electron microscopy of wound dressing. Treatment with ASP-105 significantly reduced bacterial burdens in the first 3 days of infection and inhibited MRSA biofilm formation on the surgical dressing. Notably, treatment with ASP-105 resulted in a sterilizing effect of any detectable MRSA in nearly all (80%; 4/5) of treatment group. All mice receiving vehicle control developed highly MRSA-luminescent and purulent wound beds as a result of experimental infection. The ASP-105 therapy facilitated natural healing in the absence of MRSA infection. Results of this study suggests that that the novel “ASP” combinatory topical antiseptic can be used directly in wounds as a potent, broad-spectrum microbicide against drug resistant S. aureus without injury to the wound bed and impediment of natural restorative processes associated with wound healing. Further studies are warranted to test the effectiveness of this biocidal formulation against other recalcitrant bacterial and fungal pathogens in the context of serious wound infections, and to assess utility of use in both clinical and self-treat scenarios.

Surgical site infection prevention measures in General Surgery: Position statement by the Surgical Infections Division of the Spanish Association of Surgery

Surgical site infection is associated with prolonged hospital stay and increased morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs, as well as a poorer patient quality of life. Many hospitals have adopted scientifically-validated guidelines for the prevention of surgical site infection. Most of these protocols have resulted in improved postoperative results. The Surgical Infection Division of the Spanish Association of Surgery conducted a critical review of the scientific evidence and the most recent international guidelines in order to select measures with the highest degree of evidence to be applied in Spanish surgical services. The best measures are: no removal or clipping of hair from the surgical field, skin decontamination with alcohol solutions, adequate systemic antibiotic prophylaxis (administration within 30-60minutes before the incision in a single preoperative dose; intraoperative re-dosing when indicated), maintenance of normothermia and perioperative maintenance of glucose levels.

Negative Pressure Wound Therapy for Surgical-site Infections: A Randomized Trial

OBJECTIVE

This study seeks to evaluate the efficacy of negative pressure wound therapy for surgical-site infection (SSI) after open pancreaticoduodenectomy.

BACKGROUND

Despite improvement in infection control, SSIs remain a common cause of morbidity after abdominal surgery. SSI has been associated with an increased risk of reoperation, prolonged hospitalization, readmission, and higher costs. Recent retrospective studies have suggested that the use of negative pressure wound therapy can potentially prevent this complication.

METHODS

We conducted a single-center randomized, controlled trial evaluating surgical incision closure during pancreaticoduodenectomy using negative pressure wound therapy in patients at high risk for SSI. We randomly assigned patients to receive negative pressure wound therapy or a standard wound closure. The primary end point of the study was the occurrence of a postoperative SSI. We evaluated the economic impact of the intervention.

RESULTS

From January 2017 through February 2018, we randomized 123 patients at the time of closure of the surgical incision. SSI occurred in 9.7% (6/62) of patients in the negative pressure wound therapy group and in 31.1% (19/61) of patients in the standard closure group (relative risk = 0.31; 95% confidence interval, 0.13-0.73; P = 0.003). This corresponded to a relative risk reduction of 68.8%. SSIs were found to independently increase the cost of hospitalization by 23.8%.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of negative pressure wound therapy resulted in a significantly lower risk of SSIs. Incorporating this intervention in surgical practice can help reduce a complication that significantly increases patient harm and healthcare costs.

The damage response framework and infection prevention: From concept to bedside

Hospital-acquired infections remain a common cause of morbidity and mortality despite advances in infection prevention through use of bundles, environmental cleaning, antimicrobial stewardship, and other best practices. Current prevention strategies and further hospital-acquired infection reduction are limited by lack of recognition of the role that host-microbe interactions play in susceptibility and by the inability to analyze multiple risk factors in real time to accurately predict the likelihood of a hospital-acquired infection before it occurs and to inform medical decision making. Herein, we examine the value of incorporating the damage-response framework and host attributes that determine susceptibility to infectious diseases known by the acronym MISTEACHING (ie, microbiome, immunity, sex, temperature, environment, age, chance, history, inoculum, nutrition, genetics) into infection prevention strategies using machine learning to drive decision support and patient-specific interventions.

Adherence to surgical antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines in children: A cohort study

AIMS

Surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (SAP) is an important measure to reduce post-operative infections. Guidelines exist, but their efficacy and performance in children is poorly understood compared with adults. To review adherence to SAP guidelines, this study assesses risk factors for non-adherence and rate of early post-surgical infections.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of paediatric surgical cases (0-<18 years) at a tertiary children's hospital was performed. Patient characteristics, surgical factors and antimicrobial details were evaluated against hospital guidelines for overall adherence and domains of: antimicrobial choice, dose, re-dosing, timing and duration. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine risk factors for non-adherence. Hospital records were reviewed for post-operative infections at 7 and 30 days.

RESULTS

Among 326 cases, overall guideline adherence was 39.6% but varied by domain and surgical subspecialty. Incorrect wound classification was associated with overall non-adherence on multivariate regression (odds ratio (OR): 2.59; P < 0.001). Incorrect antimicrobial choice was more likely in children with penicillin hypersensitivity (OR 138.34, P = 0.004) and incorrect dosing more likely in adolescent patients (OR 4.33; P = 0.004). Presence of invasive devices was associated with prolonged duration of antimicrobials (OR 2.92, P = 0.016). Only two post-operative infections were documented by 30 days, but data were insufficient to exclude mild infections managed in the community.

CONCLUSIONS

SAP was suboptimal in children, with areas for improvement including better guidance on wound classification, allergy management and care for adolescent patients. Documented infections were rare, but mild infections were unable to be excluded due to limited post-discharge information.

Factores asociados a letalidad en pacientes con infección de herida quirúrgica. Estudio de casos y controles

Existe evidencia sobre los factores de riesgos asociados a la infección de la herida quirúrgica (IHQ), pero se desconocen estudios que hayan evaluado los factores asociados a la letalidad por la IHQ. Se propone un estudio para determinar los factores asociados a la letalidad en pacientes que desarrollaron una IHQ. Se realizó un estudio de casos y controles anidado a una cohorte de pacientes adultos diagnosticados con IHQ durante el periodo 2015 – 2016, en un hospital universitario de la región sur de Colombia. Los casos fueron pacientes con IHQ que presentaron letalidad dentro de los 30 días posteriores al inicio de la infección y los controles aquellos con IHQ que no fallecieron durante los 30 días. 150 pacientes cumplieron los criterios de selección. Los casos (fallecidos) correspondieron al 19,3%, quedando el grupo de los controles (vivos) con un 80,7%. Se encontró que controlando la edad y los días de hospitalización previos al procedimiento quirúrgico, la IHQ tipo órgano espacio es un factor asociado con letalidad en pacientes infectados (OR=2,5 IC95% 1,1 – 6,1). La letalidad en pacientes con IHQ fue elevada y representa un problema de salud pública por las consecuencias que ocasiona al paciente. 

Natural Language Processing for the Identification of Surgical Site Infections in Orthopaedics

BACKGROUND

The identification of surgical site infections for infection surveillance in hospitals depends on the manual abstraction of medical records and, for research purposes, depends mainly on the use of administrative or claims data. The objective of this study was to determine whether automating the abstraction process with natural language processing (NLP)-based models that analyze the free-text notes of the medical record can identify surgical site infections with predictive abilities that match the manual abstraction process and that surpass surgical site infection identification from administrative data.

METHODS

We used surgical site infection surveillance data compiled by the infection prevention team to identify surgical site infections among patients undergoing orthopaedic surgical procedures at a tertiary care academic medical center from 2011 to 2017. We compiled a list of keywords suggestive of surgical site infections, and we used NLP to identify occurrences of these keywords and their grammatical variants in the free-text notes of the medical record. The key outcome was a binary indicator of whether a surgical site infection occurred. We estimated 7 incremental multivariable logistic regression models using a combination of administrative and NLP-derived variables. We split the analytic cohort into training (80%) and testing data sets (20%), and we used a tenfold cross-validation approach. The main analytic cohort included 172 surgical site infection cases and 200 controls that were repeatedly and randomly selected from a pool of 1,407 controls.

RESULTS

For Model 1 (variables from administrative data only), the sensitivity was 68% and the positive predictive value was 70%; for Model 4 (with NLP 5-grams [distinct sequences of 5 contiguous words] from the medical record), the sensitivity was 97% and the positive predictive value was 97%; and for Model 7 (a combination of Models 1 and 4), the sensitivity was 97% and the positive predictive value was 97%. Thus, NLP-based models identified 97% of surgical site infections identified by manual abstraction with high precision and 43% more surgical site infections compared with models that used administrative data only.

CONCLUSIONS

Models that used NLP keywords achieved predictive abilities that were comparable with the manual abstraction process and were superior to models that used administrative data only. NLP has the potential to automate and aid accurate surgical site infection identification and, thus, play an important role in their prevention.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

This study examines NLP's potential to automate the identification of surgical site infections. This automation can potentially aid the prevention and early identification of these surgical complications, thereby reducing their adverse clinical and economic impact.

Efficacy of Preoperative Oral Antibiotic Prophylaxis for the Prevention of Surgical Site Infections in Patients With Crohn Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVES

We investigated the efficacy of oral antimicrobial prophylaxis in patients undergoing surgery for Crohn disease.

BACKGROUND

Although oral antibiotic prophylaxis with mechanical bowel preparation has been recommended for colorectal surgery, the use of this approach remains somewhat controversial. Moreover, the efficacy of this approach for inflammatory bowel disease also remains unclear.

METHODS

This study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial at the Hyogo College of Medicine. The study protocols were registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (000013369). In this study, 335 patients with Crohn disease who were scheduled to undergo intestinal resection with an open approach were randomly assigned to either group A or group B. The patients in group A received both preoperative oral antibiotics and intravenous antimicrobial prophylaxis, and intravenous antimicrobial prophylaxis alone was given to the patients in group B. All patients underwent preoperative mechanical bowel preparation with sodium picosulfate hydrate. The primary endpoint of this study was the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) according to an intention-to-treat analysis.

RESULTS

Although the incidences of overall and organ/space SSI were not significantly different, the incidence of incisional SSI was significantly lower in group A (12/163; 7.4%) than in group B (27/162; 16.6%) (P = 0.01). In the multivariate analysis, the absence of oral antibiotic prophylaxis was an independent risk factor for incisional SSI (odds ratio: 3.3; 95% confidence interval: 1.3-8.3; P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Combined oral and intravenous antimicrobial prophylaxis in patients with Crohn disease contributed to the prevention of SSI.

Closed incision negative pressure therapy: Results of recent trials and recommendations for clinical practice

BACKGROUND

Open abdominal surgery is associated with high rates of wound complications . Surgical site infection (SSI) is associated with prolonged length of stay, delayed treatment and high rates of readmission ^{(1, 3, 4)}. Negative pressure wound therapy over closed incisions (ciNPWT) is a novel approach to prevention of SSI. We reviewed the outcomes of studies comparing ciNPWT and standard therapy in open abdominal wounds to assess the efficacy of the current evidence base.

AIM

To assess the effect of negative pressure wound therapy used over closed incisions in open abdominal surgery.

METHODS

Search of relevant terms was conducted on PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane to identify studies published between Jan 2006-Feb 2019. Studies were chosen based on specific inclusion criteria. Articles were screened to assess demographics, study design and outcomes.

RESULTS

Seven retrospective and six prospective randomised controlled trials were identified for inclusion, totalling 3048 participants. 967 received ciNPWT and 2081 received standard treatment. Studies assessed a mix of surgeries (colorectal n = 6, pancreaticoduodenectomy n = 1, gynaecologic n = 1, acute care surgery n = 1, mixed open n = 2). ciNPWT was statistically significant in reducing SSI in 9 of 13 studies.

CONCLUSION

ciNPWT in open abdominal surgery has demonstrated promising results for reducing SSI rate in some trials however, patient selection remains unclear. Recent randomized controlled trials have failed to demonstrate benefit overall with use of ciNPWT in open abdominal surgery. Further multicentre prospective trials are needed for cost-benefit analysis and appropriate patient-selection.

Magnitude of surgical site infection and its associated factors among patients who underwent a surgical procedure at Wolaita Sodo University Teaching and Referral Hospital, South Ethiopia

Introduction

Surgical site infections are infections that take place within 30 days of an operative procedure. Worldwide, 23% of patients develop surgical site infections among all surgeries annually with the worst complications causing prolonged hospital stays, increased resistance of microorganisms to antimicrobials, higher health system costs, emotional stress for patients and their families, and substantial economic burdens on hospitals. Therefore, this study was created to assess the magnitude and associated factors of surgical site infection at Wolaita Sodo University Teaching and Referral Hospital.

Method

We conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study on patients who underwent a surgical procedure in 2018 at Wolaita Sodo University Teaching and Referral Hospital. We applied a systematic random sampling technique to obtain 261 patient records from all records of surgical patients from January 1, 2018, to December 30, 2018. We collected data using a pretested checklist. We used bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with surgical site infection. We considered a P-value < 0.05 as statistically significant. Summary measures, texts, tables, and figures present the results of the analysis.

Result

Among the 261 patients, 34 or 13% (95% CI = 9.2%, 17.2%) developed surgical site infection. Patients younger than 40 years old [AOR 6.45; 95% CI (1.56, 26.67)], illiterate [AOR 4.25; 95% CI (1.52, 11.84)], with a history of previous hospitalization [AOR 4.50; 95% CI (1.44, 14.08)], with a prolonged preoperative hospital stay (≥ 7 days) [AOR 3.88; 95% CI (1.46, 10.29)], and admitted to the public wing of the ward [AOR 0.24; 95% CI (0.07, 0.79)] possessed factors associated with surgical site infection.

Conclusion

The magnitude of surgical site infection in this study was high. Shortening preoperative hospital stays, delivering intravenous antimicrobial prophylaxis before surgery, and giving wound care as ordered would significantly reduce the incidence of surgical site infection.

Adding vancomycin to perioperative prophylaxis decreases deep sternal wound infections in high-risk cardiac surgery patients

OBJECTIVES

Perioperative prophylaxis with cephalosporins reduces sternal wound infections (SWIs) after cardiac surgery. However, more than 50% of coagulase-negative staphylococci, an important pathogen, are cephalosporin resistant. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of adjunctive vancomycin on SWIs in high-risk patients.

METHODS

We conducted a pre- and postintervention study in an academic hospital. Preintervention (2010-2011), all patients received prophylaxis with 1.5 g of cefuroxime for 48 h. During the intervention period (2012-2013), high-risk patients additionally received 1 g of vancomycin. High-risk status was defined as body mass index ≤18 or ≥ 30 kg/m2, reoperation, renal failure, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or immunosuppressive medication. Time series analysis was performed to study SWI trends and logistic regression to determine the effect of adding vancomycin adjusting for high-risk status.

RESULTS

A total of 3902 consecutive patients (n = 1915 preintervention and n = 1987 postintervention) were included, of which 1493 (38%) patients were high-risk patients. In the high-risk group, 61 of 711 (8.6%) patients had SWI before and 30 of 782 (3.8%) patients after the intervention. Focusing on deep SWI (DSWI), 33 of 711 (4.6%) patients had DSWI before and 13 of 782 (1.7%) patients afterwards; the absolute risk difference of 2.9% yielded a number-needed-to-treat of 34 to prevent 1 DSWI. Corrected for high-risk status, adding vancomycin significantly reduced the overall SWI rate (odds ratio 0.42, 95% confidence interval 0.26-0.67; P < 0.001) and the subset of DSWI (odds ratio 0.30, 95% confidence interval 0.14-0.62; P = 0.001). The rate of SWI in low-risk patients remained unchanged.

CONCLUSIONS

Adding vancomycin to standard antibiotic prophylaxis in high-risk patients significantly reduced DSWI after cardiac surgery.

Awareness of Practice and Comparison with Best Evidence in Surgical Site Infection Prevention in Colorectal Surgery

Background: The use of mechanical bowel preparation and prophylaxis with oral antimicrobial agents can prevent surgical site infection (SSI) in colorectal surgical procedures, but routine adoption of these and other practices by surgeons has been limited. The aim of this study was to determine the actual practice and surgeon beliefs about preventative measures in elective colorectal operations and to compare them with established recommendations.

Methods: Web-based survey was sent to colorectal surgeons assessing knowledge, beliefs, and practices regarding the use of preventative measures for SSI.

Results: Of 355 surgeons, 33% had no feedback of SSI rate; 60% believed in evidence for normothermia, wound edge protection, and use of alcohol solution, and reported use of these strategies. There was a discrepancy in the assumed evidence and use of hyperoxia, glove replacement after anastomosis, surgical tools replacement, and saline surgical site lavage. Most of respondents believe that oral antibiotic prophylaxis diminishes infection, but is indicated only by one third of them. Few surgeons believe in MBP, but many actually use it. Most surgeons believe that there is a discrepancy between published guidelines and actual clinical practice. As proper means to implement guidelines, checklists, standardized orders, surveillance, feedback of SSI rates, and educational programs are rated most highly by surgeons, but few of these are in place at their institutions.

Conclusions: Gaps in the translation of evidence into practice remain in the prevention of SSI in colorectal surgical procedures. Several areas for improvement have been identified. Specific implementation strategies should be addressed in colorectal units.

APSIC guidelines for the prevention of surgical site infections

Background

The Asia Pacific Society of Infection Control (APSIC) launched the APSIC Guidelines for the Prevention of Surgical Site Infections in 2018. This document describes the guidelines and recommendations for the setting prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs). It aims to highlight practical recommendations in a concise format designed to assist healthcare facilities at Asia Pacific region in achieving high standards in preoperative, perioperative and postoperative practices.

Method

The guidelines were developed by an appointed workgroup comprising experts in the Asia Pacific region, following reviews of previously published guidelines and recommendations relevant to each section.

Results

It recommends that healthcare facilities review specific risk factors and develop effective prevention strategies, which would be cost effective at local levels. Gaps identified are best closed using a quality improvement process. Surveillance of SSIs is recommended using accepted international methodology. The timely feedback of the data analysed would help in the monitoring of effective implementation of interventions.

Conclusions

Healthcare facilities should aim for excellence in safe surgery practices. The implementation of evidence-based practices using a quality improvement process helps towards achieving effective and sustainable results.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriers are vulnerable to bloodstream infection after living donor liver transplantation

BACKGROUND

Bloodstream infection (BSI) is a life-threatening complication after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). We aimed to explore the incidence and predisposing factors of BSI at our institution.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis on all consecutive adults with BSI within 6 months after LDLT performed between 2005 and 2016. For antimicrobial prophylaxis, ampicillin/sulbactam, cefotaxime, and micafungin were administered. From 2011, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriers were decolonized using mupirocin ointment and chlorhexidine gluconate soap. Risk factors for BSI were identified by uni- and multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of a total of 106 LDLTs, 42 recipients (40%) suffered BSI. The BSI group demonstrated significantly higher in-hospital mortality rates compared with the non-BSI group (24% vs. 7%, P = .01). We identified MRSA carrier (odds ratio [OR], 19.1; P < .001), ABO incompatibility (OR, 2.9; P = .03), and estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min/1.73m² (OR, 15.8; P = .02) as independent risk factors for BSI. Decolonization treatment for MRSA carriers did not reduce the incidence of all-cause BSI but reduced the frequency of BSI caused by MRSA.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, for the first time, MRSA carriers were revealed to be highly vulnerable to BSI after LDLT.