A surgical site infection is one that occurs after surgery in the part of the body where the surgery took place. Surgical site infections can sometimes be superficial,involving the skin only. Other surgical site infections are more serious and can involve tissues under the skin, organs, or implanted material. Most SSIs can be treated with antibiotics.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to prevent SSIs, healthcare providers should follow CDC infection prevention guidelines including:
- Clean their hands and arms up to their elbows with an antiseptic agent just before the surgery.
- Clean their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub before and after caring for each patient.
- If indicated, remove some of your hair immediately before your surgery using electric clippers if the hair is in the same area where the procedure will occur.
- Wear special hair covers, masks, gowns, and gloves during surgery to keep the surgery area clean.
- When indicated, give you antibiotics before your surgery starts. In most cases, you should get antibiotics within 60 minutes before the surgery starts and the antibiotics should be stopped within 24 hours after surgery.
- Clean the skin at the site of your surgery with a special soap that kills germs.
Providers wishing to get started may download the official Medicare QIO toolkit on HAIs.
Contact a Primaris regional representative for more information:
Preventing Surgical Site Infections