Surgical site infection and prevention guidelines: a primer for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists

Each year 500,000 surgical site infections occur in the US. Surgical site infections are the second most common healthcare-associated infections resulting in readmissions, prolonged hospital stays, higher medical costs, and increased morbidity and mortality. Surgical site infections are preventable in most cases by following evidence-based guidelines for hand hygiene, administration of prophylactic antibiotics, and perioperative patient temperature management. As attention to issues of healthcare quality heightens, the demands for positive surgical patient outcomes are intensifying. The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist can provide transparent high-quality care by implementing evidence-based guidelines for timely and appropriate antibiotic use, maintenance of normothermia, and hand washing.