Examination about the usefulness of a preventive SSI bundle for the purpose of the decrease in the incidence of SSI after Lower gastrointestinal surgery

Abstract

Despite various measures to prevent surgical site infection (SSI), the incidence of SSI remained high in patients undergoing colorectal surgery. We reviewed the records of the patients who underwent lower gastrointestinal surgery at our hospital between April 2012 and March 2016 and identified the following five risk factors for SSI: female sex, wound class ≥3, open surgery, emergency surgery, and colostomy. We then discussed measures to control these risk factors with our staff members involved in the perioperative management of patients and developed/introduced a preventive SSI bundle. The incidence of SSI in patients who underwent lower gastrointestinal surgery decreased from 26.5％ before introduction of the bundle (from April 2012 to March 2016) to 18.2％ thereafter (from April 2016 to March 2017) (P=0.07). This reduced incidence of SSI was achieved by identifying the risk factors for SSI and developing/introducing a preventive SSI bundle to control the risk factors.