1 6 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 1 9
W
hen our facility noticed an uptick in surgical site
infections at the end of 2014, it galvanized our
team. Instead of pointing fingers or, worse, accept-
ing the fact that eliminating infections is an unat-
tainable goal, we came together and went back to
the drawing board. What followed was a team-based, multilevel
approach that begins soon after patients are scheduled for surgery.
It worked. Within 2 years, our SSI rates for colon procedures went
from 10.7% to 0%, and hysterectomy SSI rates dropped from 7.8% to
0.6%. SSIs decreased significantly in a number of additional areas, as
well. Here's how we overhauled our SSI prevention protocols and
Megan Lamoreux, BSN, RN, CNOR | Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Inside Our Zero-Tolerance Policy for SSIs
A team-based approach to implementing comprehensive
protocols has led to a significant dip in infection rates.
• SET A GOAL Focusing on the elimination of
surgical site infections will help drive the
change that will create real progress.
