Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Special Outpatient Surgery Edition - Infection Control - May 2017

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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6 0 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E M A Y 2 0 1 7 You oversaw a program that reduced colorectal surgery infec- tion rates by 11%. Why did you take charge of those efforts? There was a problem with our infection rate, so we gathered as a care team and worked on improving it by implementing a standardized approach to pre-op showering, patient educa- tion, maintaining normothermia, controlling blood glu- cose levels, and using wound protectors and closing trays. Ultimately, it was about wanting to do better for our patients. What proved most challenging in implementing the changes? Getting buy-in from everyone involved. That was espe- cially true for surgeons, who often believe that the way they've always done things is best. Most surgeons won't respond if you tell them they need to use a different antibiotic. But they're more likely to get onboard if you have data showing that their infection rates are high, compared with other surgeons using the antibiotic you want them to switch to. Why are quality improvement bundles useful? Implementing a bundle is called "clumping." The idea is to employ a group of measures that are more effective as a whole than they would be if implemented individually. It's like tuning up your car. It still might sputter if all you do is change the oil, but if you also change the spark plugs and clean the air filter, it will run dramatically better. et Buy-in for Bundles to Reduce Infection Risks G Chad Buhs, MD Surgeon champion of SSI prevention

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