Abstract
Surgical site infections (SSIs) can be costly and result in prolonged hospital stays; readmissions; and additional diagnostic tests, therapeutic antibiotic treatments, and surgical procedures. Evidence-based practices for preventing SSIs include environmental cleaning; instrument cleaning, decontamination, and sterilization; preoperative bathing; preoperative Staphylococcus aureus decolonization; intraoperative antimicrobial prophylaxis; hand hygiene; and surgical hand antisepsis. Strong partnerships among infection prevention personnel, perioperative nurses, surgeons, and anesthesia professionals may enhance perioperative infection prevention. Facility and physician-specific SSI rates should be reported to physicians and frontline personnel in a timely, accessible manner. Together with costs associated with SSIs, these data help determine the success of an infection prevention program. Leaders can develop a comprehensive business case proposal for perioperative infection prevention programs. The proposal should describe the need for the program and anticipated return on investment; it also should focus on the goal of decreasing SSIs by establishing metrics for assessing outcomes and addressing barriers.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 277-290 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | AORN journal |
Volume | 117 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 2023 |
Keywords
- business case proposal
- cost-benefit analysis
- health care–associated infection
- infection prevention
- surgical site infection (SSI)
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medical–Surgical