Interventional Care
Healthcare Purchasing News: Perioperative Protection
Healthcare Purchasing News recently published an article entitled Perioperative Protection which discusses how maintaining a sterile field can guard patients and staff against infections. Many factors contribute to the onset of surgical site infections (SSIs) and other healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) while patients are in the operating room, recovery, and treatment during hospital stays.
Excerpt from the article:
“Some potential procedural, environmental, and pathogen-related risk factors would be:
- Emergent/complex procedure
- Preexisting infection/colinization
- Hair removal method
- Skin prep/ nasal decolonization
- Antibiotic prophylaxis (timing, choice, dosing)
- Glycemic control
- Blood transfusion
- Aseptic technique/ surgical scrub/ gloving
- Duration of surgery
- Or ventilation, traffic, equipment, or surfaces
Risk factors that are potentially able to be modified are diabetes/ glucose control, obesity (BMI>30) smoking, malnutrition, and immunosuppressive medications.”