M A Jalil Barbhuiyan1, Guljar Ahmed2, Jibon Kumar Paul3
1. Professor & Head, Department of Anaesthesiology North East Medical College
2. Associate Professor, Department of Surgery North East Medical College
3. Medical Officer, Department of Anesthesiology, North East Medical College
Abstract
Good infection control and prevention is essential to ensure that patients who undergo any surgical procedure within the operating theatre receive safe and effective care. The risk of surgical site infection (SSI) is approximately 1-3% for elective clean surgery. Apart from patient’s endogenous factors, the role of external risk factors in the pathogenesis of SSI is well recognized. However, among the many measures to prevent SSI, only a few are based on strong evidence, for example, adequate perioperative administration of prophylactic antibiotics, and there is insufficient evidence to show whether one method is superior to any other. The present study highlights the need for a multimodal approach involving active post-discharge surveillance, as well as measures at every step of the care process, ranging from the operating theater to postoperative care. Multicenter or supranational intervention programmes based on evidence-based guidelines, ‘bundles’ or safety checklists are likely to be beneficial on a global scale.
Keywords: Infection risks, rate, risk adjustment, surgical site infection, surveillance, prevention