Reduction in surgical site infections in the Southern Cross Hospitals network, 2004 2015: successful outcome of a long-term surveillance and quality improvement project
Arthur J Morris, Tanya M Jackways, Adrienne Morgan, Rosaleen Robertson, Muriel McIntyre
Although surgical wound infections are uncommon when they occur, they have a significant impact on patients. Southern Cross Hospitals has reported a 59% decrease in surgical wound infection over 12 years. A surgical wound monitoring programme, in place since 2004, attributes this outcome to quality improvement initiatives. The programme confirmed the effectiveness of two key practices: the use of alcohol-based skin preparation and enhanced timing of antibiotics given to patients. Across the period, the wound infection rate dropped from 3.5% to 1.2%, a decrease of approximately 5% a year. The most frequent cause of wound infection was from Staphylococcus aureus, commonly referred to as staph , an organism often found up the nose and from there transferred to a person s skin or wound. Southern Cross Hospitals continues to promote practices to reduce wound infections even further.
