Non-Physician Healthcare Provider Resources: Surgical Site Infections

Prevention & FAQs

IHI 5 Million Lives Campaign-How-to Guide: Prevent Surgical Site Infections
This guide is a part of the 5 Million Lives campaign led by the IHI. One of their focus areas in the 5 million live campaign is surgical site infections. The IHI guide outlines four interventions to help prevent surgical site infections: Appropriate use of prophylactic antibiotics; Appropriate hair removal; Controlled 6 AM postoperative serum glucose in cardiac surgery patients; and Immediate postoperative normothermia for colorectal surgery patients.
*View the IHI Surgical Site Infections Campaign
*Registration on IHI.org is required to view the How to Guide

CDC’s Surgical Site Infections FAQs
The CDC’s Surgical Site Infections FAQs provide information from the definition of a surgical site infection to the warning signs as well as statistics.
View the CDC Surgical Site Infections FAQs

CDC’s Campaign to Prevent Antimicrobial Resistance in Healthcare Settings
As part of their campaign to prevent antimicrobial resistance in healthcare settings, the CDC has made available a 12 step fact sheet for clinicians. Areas outlined include: prevent infection; properly treat and diagnose; use antimicrobials wisely; and prevent transmission.
View the 12 step fact sheet

Tools for Surgical Site Infection Prevention
This article by Infection Control Todayoutlinestools for surgeons and staff members to use to reduce risks of surgical site infection. These prevention methods include: clipping rather than shaving hair, antibiotic cycling, patient warming and many more. The ultimate goal is to prevent surgical site infections through the usage of appropriate protocols such as those mentioned in this article.
View the Tools for Surgical Site Infection Prevention Article

Hand Hygiene

WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care (Advanced Draft): A Summary
These  hand hygiene guidelines are provided by the World Health Organization about how to keep the hands clean and prevent infections in the health care setting. This document includes guidelines for hand sanitizing before and after surgeries to prevent infection. These guidelines also offer implementation strategies that are a part of the Global Patient Safety Challenge.
View the WHO Hand Hygiene Guidelines

CDC’s Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings
The CDC’s Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings provides health-care workers with a review of data regarding hand washing and hand antisepsis in health-care settings. In addition, it provides specific recommendations to promote improved hand-hygiene practices and reduce transmission of pathogenic microorganisms to patients and personnel in health-care settings.
View the CDC’s Guideline for Hand Hygiene

CDC’s Hand Hygiene Training Module
This course available via the CDC said provides information and promotional materials around key concepts and precautions to minimize infection through appropriate hand hygiene.
View the CDC Hand Hygiene Training Module

IHI’s Hand Hygiene Getting Started Kit
The IHI Hand Hygiene Guide includes: A description of the case for improving hand hygiene and use of gloves among health care workers; Recommended evidence-based interventions that will result in improvement; How to begin improving hand hygiene compliance in your organization, including establishing a team, setting aims, testing changes, and measuring results; and Measurement support tools.
View the IHI Hand Hygiene Getting Started Kit