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O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4
tioning devices are heel pads and wedges to place under the knees.
3
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). More
than 1.5 million patients acquire surgical site infections while in
the care of a perioper-
ative team. The litera-
ture reports that
99,000 deaths are
associated with HAIs
annually. How do we
prevent surgical site
infections?
Prevention begins
with our personal
commitment to prop-
er hand hygiene. If
each of us commits
to washing our hands
with soap and water
or using an alcohol
hand hygiene product
on our hands before
and after we touch a
patient or glove up,
we have contributed
to stopping the
patients we care for
from receiving a sur-
gical site infection.
Develop a hand
C O M P L I C A T I O N S
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