Assessment of protocols for surgical-site preparation in a regional network of hospitals

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality
• Infection Prevention
• Hospital Management

Background:

• Surgical-site infections (SSIs) are a significant preventable adverse event in healthcare.
• Effective surgical-site preparation is crucial for reducing SSI rates.
• Standardized protocols are essential for consistent implementation of best practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the existence and quality of surgical-site preparation protocols in public hospitals in Murcia, Spain.
• To evaluate the formal quality and evidence-based content of these protocols.
• To identify areas for improvement in SSI prevention strategies.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study evaluating protocols across nine public hospitals in the Murcia region.
• Assessment of protocol existence, formal quality attributes, and content alignment with current evidence-based recommendations.
• Specific focus on skin asepsis and hair removal recommendations.

Main Results:

• Seven out of nine hospitals (77.8%) reported having a protocol for surgical-site preparation.
• Identified significant opportunities for improvement in both the formal quality and content of existing protocols.
• Skin asepsis recommendations were often incomplete, and hair removal guidelines contradicted current evidence.

Conclusions:

• While most hospitals have established surgical-site preparation protocols, substantial improvements are needed.
• Enhancing protocol quality and ensuring alignment with evidence-based recommendations are critical for reducing SSIs.
• Further development and implementation of robust protocols are recommended to improve patient safety.