Empowering patients through a perioperative prevention bundle to reduce surgical site infections in colorectal...

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are common in colorectal surgery, with rates ranging from 5.4% to 30%. This study evaluated the impact of a perioperative prevention bundle on SSI incidence.

A prospective cohort study with a before-after analysis was conducted from April 2022 to April 2023. The intervention included patient education, preoperative and postoperative chlorhexidine bathing, and mandatory glove change before fascial closure.

The implementation of the perioperative prevention bundle resulted in a significant reduction in the overall SSI rate, from 18.5% to 3.8% (P = .016). Superficial SSIs were decreased from 11.1% to 0% (P = .012), while reductions in deep and organ-space SSIs were not statistically significant. Additionally, rehospitalization rates within 30 days dropped from 14.0% to 2.0% (P = .029). The intervention achieved full compliance among patients and staff.

The individualized approach likely contributed to high compliance, potentially enabling patients to take a more active role in their care. Further research is needed to address the challenges associated with deep and organ-space infections.

The implementation of a perioperative prevention bundle, emphasizing patient education and engagement, effectively reduced the incidence of SSIs and rehospitalization rates following colorectal surgery.