Surgical Site Infections (SSI) - a priority healthcare-associated infection

SSI Gap Analysis

The Surgical Site Infection (SSI) Prevention Strategies - Gap Analysis includes a checklist of core prevention strategies. Core prevention strategies should always be in place. Examples include:

• Provide patient/family education.
• Appropriate use of Immediate Use Sterilization (formerly known as Flash Sterilization).
• Ensure the patient is optimally physically prepared pre-operatively.
• Keep the OR door closed during surgery.
• Maintain sterility of surgical environment.
• OR team accountability/ communication related to infection prevention.
• Educate HCP and prescribers on SSI prevention practices.

Tools for SSI Road Map Topics - Supporting SSI Reduction

Use these sample tools as templates and to take action in your organization.

Patient and Family Education

Indications

Insertion - Insertion practices

Maintenance - Maintenance practices

Removal - Removal practices

Documentation - Documentation practices

General Resources

Sample Tools - Apply/Take Action

. An APIC guide with practical tools, strategies and resources for infection preventionists, care providers, surgical staff, and quality improvement teams to use in their efforts to eliminate surgical site infections (SSIs) in orthopedic surgery. (80-page PDF)

How to Report Zero Surgical Procedures or SSI Events for a Month. In order to fully comply with NHSN and CMS reporting requirements, facilities that include SSI surveillance in their monthly reporting plan must indicate when they have performed zero surgical procedures or have identified zero SSI events for each procedure category in the plan every month. Doing this provides a “true zero” for your facility. (3-page PDF)

Operating Room Checklist. Gillette Children’s self-audit cleaning checklist for cleaning between patients in the operating room. (1-page Word doc)

. This document provides evidence-based recommendations and standards for Minnesota hospitals to develop surgical site infection prevention programs. Written with elective, in-patient surgery in mind, it can also be adapted for use in other settings such as ambulatory or emergency surgery. Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Hospital Association.

From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (33-page PDF)

Surgical Site Infection Toolkit. A health care provider’s guide to preventing surgical site infections, developed by the Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality and Stratis Health. This toolkit is a compilation of evidence-based research and guidelines, recommendations, tools, and resources to be used in work on SSI prevention. (26-page Word doc)

Professional Education and Training

Introduction to National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) SSI Reporting. Defines resources and methods for SSI survellience, reviews requirements for SSI reporting to CMS through NHSN, defines key terms, criteria and application, and how to collect and entry data. Presented by Gloria Morrell, RN, MS, MSN, CIC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP). December 2011. (48-minute video)

NHSN SSI Case Studies. These 18 case studies help tounderstand NHSN defiinition August 2011. They highlight common errors and diffcult issues. Present by Gloria Morrell, RN, MS, MSN, CIC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP). December 2011. Minnesota Department of Health (30-minute video)

. In a candid and moving video interview, Rosie tells her personal story of surgery, subsequent complications, and the permanent changes inflicted on her life. Rosie also shares how her experience led her caregivers to examine their practices around these increasingly common surgeries, and to come to the important conclusion that even one infection is too many.

References/Guidelines/Standards

. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for the prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs), formerly called surgical wound infections. This two-part guideline updates and replaces previous guidelines recommendations for the prevention of surgical site infections.

. Standards for Minnesota hospitals to develop SSI prevention programs. Written with elective, inpatient surgery in mind, it can also be adapted for use in other settings such as ambulatory or emergency surgery. Developed by the Minnesota Department of Health SSI Prevention Collaborative. October 2011 (8-page PDF)

Patient Education