Hospital conducts quality assurance program to reduce SSIs

After surgical site infections increased across multiple surgical specialties during the pandemic, a rural acute care hospital in Billings, Mont., started a retrospective quality assurance project to identify factors leading to an increase in surgical site infections between January 2020 and September 2021. Published in June in the American Journal of Infection Control, the authors found incorrect antibiotic selection, timing of antibiotic administration and skin preparation in the operating room were modifiable risk factors significantly associated with SSI. In addition, basic SSI prevention practices were significantly less likely to occur during urgent cases compared to elective cases. The hospital is implementing strategies to improve SSI prevention efforts and establish a culture that can weather workflow disruptions to maintain a safe environment during chaotic times. (American Journal of Infection Control article, 6/22/26)