Prevention of Surgical Site Infection (SSI) Basic practices for prevention and monitoring of SSI*
ÎPerform surveillance for SSI (A-II).
ÎProvide ongoing feedback on SSI surveillance and process measures to surgical and perioperative personnel and leadership (A-II).
ÎIncrease the efficiency of surveillance through the use of automated data (A-II).
ÎAdminister antimicrobial prophylaxis in accordance with evidence- based standards and guidelines (A-I).
ÎDo not remove hair at the operative site unless the presence of hair will interfere with the operation; do not use razors (A-II).
ÎControl blood glucose level during the immediate postoperative period for patients undergoing cardiac surgery (A-I).
ÎMeasure and provide feedback to providers on the rates of compliance with process measures, including antimicrobial prophylaxis, proper hair removal, and glucose control (for cardiac surgery) (A-III).
ÎImplement policies and practices aimed at reducing the risk of SSI that meet regulatory and accreditation requirements and that are aligned with evidence-based standards (eg, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and professional organization guidelines) (A-II).
ÎEducate surgeons and perioperative personnel about SSI prevention (A-III).
ÎEducate patients and their families about SSI prevention, as appropriate (A-III).
Special approaches for the prevention of SSI** ÎPerform an SSI risk assessment.
ÎPerform expanded SSI surveillance to determine the source and extent of the problem and to identify possible targets for intervention (B-II).
Approaches that should NOT be considered a routine part of SSI prevention
ÎDo not routinely use vancomycin for antimicrobial prophylaxis (B-II). ÎDo not routinely delay surgery to provide parenteral nutrition (A-I).
