A collection of 71 articles in PubMed has been compiled on prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs). It consists of systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and guidelines from various sources, including Cochrane, WHO and CDC. There is a wide variety of topics: sterile technique, patient engagement, coated sutures, operating room traffic, preoperative bathing, physician 360-degree reporting, forced-air warming, dressings, teamwork and collaboration, and much more. Articles on usage of antibiotics are not included.

To read abstracts and access full text (where available), first go to Emory’s instance of PubMed and copy/paste this URL into the same browser window. Use the “Find It @ Emory” button to access an article’s full text.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has several reports and information on prevention of SSIs. Here are some items from their website:

Toolkit to Promote Safe Surgery helps identify opportunities to improve care and safety practices and implement evidence-based interventions to prevent SSIs. The toolkit includes two guides, supplemental tools for each guide, and 15 instructional modules within three phases (on-boarding, implementation, sustainability) to support change at the unit level.

Toolkit to Improve Safety in Ambulatory Surgery Centers addresses what can be done to prevent SSIs and other complications.

Proactive Risk Assessment of Surgical Site Infections in Ambulatory Surgery Centers includes a list of patient factors that make them high-risk, such as obesity, but also includes things that staff do that lead to increasing rates of infection, such as “fail to remove watch/jewelry/fake nails.”

Creating a Culture of Safety in the Ambulatory Surgery Environment Implementation Guide states that an anticipated benefit for ASCs participating in the program includes a reduction in SSIs and other surgical complications.

Advances in the Prevention and Control of HAIs includes a chapter entitled “Development and Implementation of a Consensus Algorithm to Optimize Preoperative Antimicrobial Prophylaxis and Decrease Gram-Positive Surgical Site Infections for Cardiac and Orthopedic Procedures.”

AHRQ has an ongoing safety program for improving surgical care and recovery. One outcome of the 5-year project will be creation of a toolkit. Visit their website for information on the project and how to enroll a hospital in the program.