KATE WOODHEAD RGN DMS discusses the latest efforts to reduce surgical site infection. What progress has been achieved, in recent years, and is the evidence being put into practice?
It is time to revisit surgical site infection to assess how we have improved our practice in order to reduce harm to patients. What progress, if any, have we made in the last few years? Is the evidence being put into practice? What impact has this had on surgical teams and surgical wards and our patients? KATE WOODHEAD RGN DMS reports.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published Quality Standard 49 for surgical site infection in October 2013. All surgical teams therefore will have had time to review each of the standard statements and to agree how they are going to implement the practice suggested and if it has to change. It is to be hoped that multidisciplinary teams have convened to review infection prevention practices in operating theatres all around the country.
Each statement is identified together with the rationale for its inclusion, followed by the data required to provide the evidence and an outcome statement which may also demonstrate use of local data to inform the measurement. In a rather unwieldy and pedantic way, the quality statement then specifies what it means for a range of different service providers. The final outcome statement is what it means for patients, service users and carers. Finally any definitions which may need to be explained are stated and reference sources identified.
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