The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses outlined four ways ASCs can reduce surgical site infections in a post on its blog.
The key details to know:
1. Reference the National Healthcare Safety Network criteria to decide whether SSIs are reportable.
2. Report SSIs to the NHSN's outpatient module to track and record your ASC's data.
3. Bundle approaches are an effective way to prevent SSIs by tracking processes from the preoperative stage to discharge. Review the CDC's Guidelines for the Prevention of Surgical Site Infections for an evidence-based approach.
4. Overlooking measures and cutting corners can lead to an increase in SSI. Creating an SSI reduction team can help ensure an entire nursing staff contributes to infection prevention.
