Infection prevention: the surgical care continuum

Lack of careful attention to the increasing complexity of surgical procedures, instrument cleaning and processing, and the transition of surgical and other invasive procedures from the OR to areas outside the traditional hospital OR can contribute to surgical site infection (SSI) risk. Regardless of the location of an intervention, when basic infection prevention measures are applied reliably, even low infection rates can be reduced. To address infection prevention challenges, infection preventionists (IPs) must be well informed regarding infection risk and prevention during surgical and other invasive procedures and the effect a facility type may have on patients' infection risk. The IP must have a solid understanding of surgical asepsis, instrument disinfection, and sterilization to educate and support clinical teams in identifying opportunities for improvement relative to infection prevention.