Surgical site infection prevention bundle for children submitted to cardiac surgery

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
• Infection Prevention
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a significant concern in pediatric cardiac surgery.
• Effective prevention strategies are crucial to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.
• Existing guidelines may not be tailored to the specific needs of pediatric cardiac surgical patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a comprehensive bundle of interventions for preventing surgical site infections in children undergoing cardiac surgery.
• To ensure the content and appearance of the bundle are suitable for clinical application.

Main Methods:

• A methodological study was conducted in two phases.
• Phase 1 involved an integrative literature review to identify relevant interventions for SSI prevention.
• Phase 2 included validation of the constructed bundle's content and appearance by 24 expert judges.

Main Results:

• An integrative literature review identified 17 potential interventions for SSI prevention in pediatric cardiac surgery.
• Seven evidence-based interventions were selected to form the prevention bundle.
• The final bundle, comprising all seven selected interventions, achieved a high content validity index (>0.8) for both content and appearance.

Conclusions:

• A validated bundle for surgical site infection prevention in pediatric cardiac surgery has been developed.
• The bundle provides a structured approach to perioperative care aimed at minimizing SSI risk.
• This tool can support healthcare professionals in implementing evidence-based practices for improved patient safety.