Infection prevention: the surgical care continuum

Area of Science:

• Infection Prevention and Control
• Surgical Safety
• Healthcare-Associated Infections

Background:

• Increasing complexity of surgical procedures and instrument reprocessing contributes to surgical site infection (SSI) risk.
• The shift of invasive procedures outside traditional operating rooms (ORs) presents new infection prevention challenges.
• Basic infection prevention measures are crucial for reducing infection rates in any setting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the importance of infection preventionists (IPs) understanding risks associated with surgical and invasive procedures.
• To emphasize the need for IPs to be knowledgeable about infection prevention strategies in various healthcare settings.
• To underscore the role of IPs in educating clinical teams on infection control.

Main Methods:

• Review of current trends in surgical procedures and infection control practices.
• Analysis of factors contributing to surgical site infection (SSI) risk.
• Emphasis on the knowledge base required for infection preventionists (IPs).

Main Results:

• Inadequate attention to procedural complexity, instrument processing, and procedural location increases SSI risk.
• Consistent application of fundamental infection prevention measures can lower infection rates.
• Infection preventionists (IPs) require comprehensive knowledge of asepsis, disinfection, and sterilization.

Conclusions:

• Infection preventionists (IPs) must be well-informed about infection risks in surgical and invasive procedures across different facility types.
• A strong understanding of surgical asepsis, instrument disinfection, and sterilization is essential for IPs.
• IPs play a vital role in supporting clinical teams to enhance infection prevention strategies.