BETTER TOGETHER: BOOKING THE OR COLLABORATIVELY

The national nosocomial surveillance network in Hungary: results of two years of surgical site infection surveillance

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) following open heart surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) among pediatric patients are healthcare-associated infections associated with significant morbidity and mortality. At a pediatric acute-care facility, an increase in SSI incidence prompted an epidemiologic review. We describe the incidence of cardiac SSIs at our hospital; we identified risk factors and areas of practice variation to inform improvement initiatives. Methods: SSI cases following CPB at our hospital have been identified through routine surveillance using NHSN definitions since January 2016. An increase in cases was noted in mid-2018, prompting a common cause analysis with stakeholders across the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care continuum. Areas of practice variability were identified, and an epidemiologic review was performed to determine risk factors among cases compared to noncases between January 2016 and August 2018. The rate of SSIs and 95% confidence intervals were estimated, and univariate logistic regressions were fitted to estimate unadjusted odds ratios (ORs) for the association between each of the predetermined preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors and developing an SSI. Results: Overall, 139 patients underwent surgery involving CPB between January 1, 2016, and August 31, 2018. Preoperative bathing was infrequently documented (9% among cases vs 5% among noncases; P = .56). Operating room observations identified frequent door openings and equipment crowding. Moreover, 11 patients (7.9%) developed a cardiac SSI, with 6 (14.3%) occurring in the first 8 months of 2018 (P = .067). There were no predominant pathogens; 3 of 11 cases were associated with methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus. Also, 9 cases were classified as deep incisional or organ-space SSI. Each hour increase in total CPB duration was associated with a 63% increase in odds of developing an SSI (OR, 1.626; 95% CI, 1.041–2.539). Each additional day of intubation (OR, 2.400; 95% CI, 1.203–4.788) and peritoneal dialysis (OR, 1.767; 95% CI, 1.070–2.919) during the first 3 days postoperatively were also associated with increased SSI risk. Postoperative documentation of wound assessment occurred in 60% of patients, with no difference between cases and noncases (55% vs 67%; P = .42). Conclusions: Using a mixed-methods approach, preoperative bathing, increased operating room traffic, and postoperative care around wounds and invasive devices were identified as areas of improvement toward safer surgical care. Although no unique organism or process explained the increased rate, determining risk factors and areas of practice variability through stakeholder engagement provided insight into opportunities to prevent SSIs.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

Preliminary studies that analyzed surrogate markers have suggested that operating room (OR) door openings may be a risk factor for surgical site infection (SSI). We therefore aimed to estimate the effect of OR door openings on SSI risk in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. This prospective, observational study involved consecutive patients undergoing cardiac surgery in 2 prespecified ORs equipped with automatic door-counting devices from June 2016 to October 2017. Occurrence of an SSI within 30 days after cardiac surgery was our primary outcome measure. Respective outcome data were obtained from a national SSI surveillance cohort. We analyzed the relationship between mean OR door opening frequencies and SSI risk by use of uni- and multivariable Cox regression models. A total of 301 594 OR door openings were recorded during the study period, with 87 676 eligible door openings being logged between incision and skin closure. There were 688 patients included in the study, of whom 24 (3.5%) developed an SSI within 30 days after surgery. In uni- and multivariable analysis, an increased mean door opening frequency during cardiac surgery was associated with higher risk for consecutive SSI (adjusted hazard ratio per 5-unit increment, 1.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-2.00; P = .008). The observed effect was driven by internal OR door openings toward the clean instrument preparation room. Frequent door openings during cardiac surgery were independently associated with an increased risk for SSI. This finding warrants further study to establish a potentially causal relationship between OR door openings and the occurrence of SSI.

Balancing sustainability and safety: Reducing HVAC air exchange rates in operating rooms without increasing infection risk.

BackgroundExploratory laparotomy surgery is abdominal operations not involving the gastrointestinal tract or biliary system. The objective of our study is to answer three questions: (a) What is the risk of surgical site infection (SSI) after exploratory abdominal surgery? (b) What is the impact of SSI in the hospital length of stay and hospital mortality? (c) What are risk factors for SSI after exploratory abdominal surgery?MethodsA retrospective cohort study assessed meningitis and risk factors in patients undergoing exploratory laparotomy between January 2013 and December 2017 from 12 hospitals at Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Data were gathered by standardized methods defined by the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN)/CDC procedure-associated protocols for routine SSI surveillance. 26 preoperative and operative categorical and continuous variables were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis (logistic regression). Outcome variables: Surgical site infection (SSI), hospital death, hospital length of stay. Variables were analyzed using Epi Info and applying statistical two-tailed test hypothesis with significance level of 5%.ResultsA sample of 6,591 patients submitted to exploratory laparotomy was analyzed (SSI risk = 4.3%): Hospital length of stay in noninfected patients (days): mean = 16, median = 6, std. dev. = 30; hospital stay in infected patients: mean = 32, median = 22, std. dev. = 30 (P < 0.001). The mortality rate in patients without infection was 14% while hospital death of infected patients was 20% (P = 0.009). Main risk factors for SSI: ügeneral anesthesia (SSI = 4.9%, relative risk – RR = 2.8, P < 0.001); preoperative hospital length of stay more than 4 days (SSI=3.9%, RR=1.8, P = 0.003); wound class contaminated or dirty (SSI = 5.4%, RR = 1.5, P = 0.002); duration of procedure higher than 3 hours (SSI = 7.1%, RR = 2.1, P < 0.001); after trauma laparotomy (SSI = 7.8%, RR = 1.9, P = 0.001).ConclusionWe identified patients at high risk of surgical site infection after exploratory laparotomy: trauma patients from contaminated or dirty wound surgery, submitted to a procedure with general anesthesia that last more than 3 hours have 13% SSI. Patients without any of these four risk factors have only 1.2% SSI.DisclosuresAll authors: No reported disclosures.

Secondary analysis of data from a prospective multicenter observational study. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of surgical site infection (SSI) in patients with and without intrawound vancomycin application controlling for confounding factors associated with higher SSI after elective spine surgery. SSI is a morbid and expensive complication associated with spine surgery. The application of intrawound vancomycin is rapidly emerging as a solution to reduce SSI following spine surgery. The impact of intrawound vancomycin has not been systematically studied in a well-designed multicenter study. Patients undergoing elective spine surgery over a period of 4 years at seven spine surgery centers across the United States were included in the study. Patients were dichotomized on the basis of whether intrawound vancomycin was applied. Outcomes were occurrence of SSI within postoperative 30 days and SSI that required return to the operating room (OR). Multivariable random-effect log-binomial regression analyses were conducted to determine the relative risk of having an SSI and an SSI with return to OR. .: A total of 2056 patients were included in the analysis. Intrawound vancomycin was utilized in 47% (n = 966) of patients. The prevalence of SSI was higher in patients with no vancomycin use (5.1%) than those with use of intrawound vancomycin (2.2%). The risk of SSI was higher in patients in whom intrawound vancomycin was not used (relative risk (RR) -2.5, P < 0.001), increased number of levels exposed (RR -1.1, P = 0.01), and those admitted postoperatively to intensive care unit (ICU) (RR -2.1, P = 0.005). Patients in whom intrawound vancomycin was not used (RR -5.9, P < 0.001), increased number of levels were exposed (RR-1.1, P = 0.001), and postoperative ICU admission (RR -3.3, P < 0.001) were significant risk factors for SSI requiring a return to the OR. The intrawound application of vancomycin after posterior approach spine surgery was associated with a reduced risk of SSI and return to OR associated with SSI. 2.

Risk of surgical site infection after carpal tunnel release performed in an operating room versus a clinic-based procedure room within a Veterans Affairs medical center

Evaluation of the Methods Used by Medicare's Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program to Identify Outlier Hospitals for Surgical Site Infection

Surgical site infection (SSI) in laryngeal cancer (LC) patients significantly increases morbidity and may postpone adjuvant therapy. Additionally, SSI can prolong hospitalization, thus representing a burden for the healthcare system. Most of the published studies refer to SSI after salvage laryngectomy. The present prospective cohort study aimed to clarify the incidence and factors associated with SSI in patients after primary open surgery for LC. Through regular hospital surveillance of patients who underwent primary partial or total laryngectomy, we gathered 24 putative factors and identified SSI from 2013 to 2022. Patients with SSI were compared with patients without SSI. SSI was observed in 21 (6.6%) of 319 patients. ULRA showed that the occurrence of SSI was significantly associated with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, other postoperative healthcare-associated (HAI) infection, T classification, N classification, advanced clinical stage (III-IV), length of stay (LOS), duration of drainage, and the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) risk index. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified two independent factors associated with SSI occurring in these patients: duration of drainage (RR (relative risk) 1.593; 95% CI 1.159-2.189; p = 0.004) and LOS (RR: 1.074; 95% CI: 1.037-1.112; p < 0.001). Our study provided insight into the burden of SSI in LC patients, highlighting several priority areas and targets for quality improvement.

Increase in Post-Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) Following Cease of Active Surveillance Demonstrates Need for Continued Active Surveillance for SSIs Following Cardiac Procedures

Deep brain stimulation is an effective surgical treatment for managing some neurological and psychiatric disorders. Infection related to the deep brain stimulator (DBS) hardware causes significant morbidity: hardware explantation may be required; initial disease symptoms such as tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia may recur; and the medication requirements for adequate disease management may increase. These morbidities are of particular concern given that published DBS-related infection rates have been as high as 23%. To date, however, the key risk factors for and the potential preventive measures against these infections remain largely uncharacterized. In this study, the authors endeavored to identify possible risk factors for DBS-related infection and analyze the efficacy of prophylactic intrawound vancomycin powder (VP). The authors performed a retrospective cohort study of patients who had undergone primary DBS implantation at a single institution in the period from December 2005 through September 2015 to identify possible risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI) and to assess the impact of perioperative (before, during, and after surgery) prophylactic antibiotics on the SSI rate. They also evaluated the effect of a change in the National Healthcare Safety Network's definition of SSI on the number of infections detected. Statistical analyses were performed using the 2-sample t-test, the Wilcoxon rank-sum test, the chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, or logistic regression, as appropriate for the variables examined. Four hundred sixty-four electrodes were placed in 242 adults during 245 primary procedures over approximately 10.5 years; most patients underwent bilateral electrode implantation. Among the 245 procedures, 9 SSIs (3.7%) occurred within 90 days and 16 (6.5%) occurred within 1 year of DBS placement. Gram-positive bacteria were the most common etiological agents. Most patient- and procedure-related characteristics did not differ between those who had acquired an SSI and those who had not. The rate of SSIs among patients who had received intrawound VP was only 3.3% compared with 9.7% among those who had not received topical VP (OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.10-1.02, p = 0.04). After controlling for patient sex, the association between VP and decreased SSI risk did not reach the predetermined level of significance (adjusted OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.10-1.03, p = 0.06). The SSI rates were similar after staged and unstaged implantations. While most patient-related and procedure-related factors assessed in this study were not associated with the risk for an SSI, the data did suggest that intrawound VP may help to reduce the SSI risk after DBS implantation. Furthermore, given the implications of SSI after DBS surgery and the frequency of infections occurring more than 90 days after implantation, continued follow-up for at least 1 year after such a procedure is prudent to establish the true burden of these infections and to properly treat them when they do occur.

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) among cardiothoracic (CT) patients are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Data are limited regarding SSI incidence among pediatric patients undergoing primary reparative procedures for congenital cardiac disease. Published evidence on targeted interventions to prevent pediatric CT-surgery SSI is lacking. We aimed to establish standard metrics for measuring CT-surgery SSI incidence and to implement bundled interventions for SSI prevention. Methods: A dedicated CT-surgery SSI prevention workgroup was established, consisting of hospital leadership, CT surgeons, cardiac critical care unit staff, anesthesia, perfusion, environmental services, instrument sterile processing, risk management, infection prevention and antibiotic stewardship. We created a standard definition for CT-surgery SSI and calculated retrospective SSI rates over a 24-month period (2017–2019). The outcome measured was incidence of CT-surgery SSI per 100 primary cardiac procedures with delayed ( 3 days after primary surgery) or non-delayed chest closure. The difference in proportion of SSI was reported separately for delayed closure and non-delayed closure; statistical significance was tested using a Fisher’s Exact test. We identified many potential improvement opportunities, including gaps in SSI surveillance, poor compliance with daily bathing, inconsistent perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis, lack of controlled environment for bedside chest closures, and lapses in environmental cleaning. These issues informed the enhanced SSI prevention bundle, which included education on sterility with the operating room (OR) staff. Protocols for care of cardiac patients with delayed chest closures focused on universal daily and preoperative chlorhexidine baths. In addition, the bundle incorporated stringent environmental cleaning interventions including scheduled decluttering of patient rooms and clinical spaces, terminal cleaning of patient rooms prior to returning from the OR, and use of adjunctive ultraviolet light for the daily cleaning of operating rooms and patient rooms at discharge. Results: Surveillance definition of microbiological growth from a clinical sample obtained within 30 days of primary cardiac procedure sufficiently captured all CT-surgery SSIs. Of 551 CT-surgery procedures prior to intervention, 91 (17%) had delayed final operative closures. Prior to the intervention, 16 SSIs were identified from July 2017 – May 2019 for a rate of 2.90 per /100 procedures, and was higher among patients with delayed chest closure 6.59 per /100 procedures (6 SSIs/91 procedures) versus those with primary chest closure 2.17 per /100 procedures (10 SSIs/460 procedures; P = 0.034). Gram-positive organisms, including coagulase coagulase-negative Staphylococci, were most frequently identified as the causative organisms for SSIs. Compliance with bundled intervention, rolled out over a 2-month period, was associated with an immediate decrease in the number of SSIs for primary and delayed chest closures 6SSIs /185 procedures in the initial quarters (August – December 2019) of the post-intervention period. However, this decrease was not reflected in the overall rate (3.24 per /100 procedures) due to fewer procedures performed. Data collection to measure sustainability is ongoing. Conclusions: Bundled interventions targeting skin antisepsis and environmental cleaning may be associated with a decrease in SSIs among pediatric CT-surgery patients. Ongoing surveillance is required to determine sustainability of these interventions.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

Surgical Site Infection after Colon Surgery: National Healthcare Safety Network Risk Factors and Modeled Rates Compared with Published Risk Factors and Rates

Factors influencing surgical site infections (SSI) significantly increase mobidity, mortality and the health care costs particularly in resource limited settings likeNigeria. However,there is need to assess the factors influencing surgical site infection prevention and Objectives are to identify patient related factors, health care related factors and environmental related factors and the level of surgical site infection prevention. This cross-sectional descriptive survey aimed to assess factors influencing surgical site infection prevention among surgical patients. the sample size of 333 surgical patients, determined by using Taro-Yamane formula. Systematic sampling technique was used to select respondents and the study instrument used to collect data from the selected respondents at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), Osun State, using a pretested, validated questionnaire. .Data analyzed with SPSS version 27, showed that 84.6% of respondents endorsed environmental controls, such as operating room (OR) cleaning (86.4%), ventilation (83%), and sterilization protocols (84.5%). Approximately 84.83% emphasized that patient hygiene, preoperative compliance, and postoperative wound care, supported by optimal Operating Room conditions, reduce surgical site infection risks, with diabetes increasing vulnerability in suboptimal environments (83 agreements). Healthcare procedural-related factors, including protocol adherence (74.95% endorsement), were critical, yet 48.4% noted inconsistent compliance. Key findings revealed inadequate OR ventilation (OR=2.20, p=0.004), low patient compliance (OR=3.15, p=0.001), and poor healthcare worker adherence (OR=2.95, p=0.002) significantly increased SSI odds, with a 15.1% preventive rates. This study examines the factors influencing surgical site infection prevention among surgical patients. Recommendations include upgrading ventilation and sterilization systems, enhancing training, and improving resources. A multifaceted approach addressing environmental, patient, and provider-related factors is essential for reducing surgical site infection in low-resource settings.

An evaluation of differences in risk factors for individual types of surgical site infections after colon surgery