Simple, Cost-Effective Method Can Reduce Surgical Site Infection Across Settings
By HospiMedica International staff writers Posted on 02 Nov 2022 |
Surgical site infection (SSI) remains the most common complication of surgery around the world. Patients in Low- and Middle-income Countries (LMICs) are disproportionately affected by wound infections. Those who develop SSI experience pain, disability, poor healing with risk of wound breakdown, prolonged recovery times and psychological challenges. In health systems where patients have to pay for treatment this can be a disaster and increases the risk of patients being plunged into poverty after their treatment. Now, researchers have found that routinely changing gloves and instruments just before closing wounds could significantly reduce SSI.
WHO does not make recommendations for changing gloves and instruments before wound closure owing to lack of evidence. A study by researchers from the University of Birmingham (Edgbaston, UK) aimed to test whether a routine change of gloves and instruments before wound closure reduced abdominal SSI. In the ChEETAh trial of the procedure in Benin, Ghana, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa, researchers found that a routine switch of gloves and instruments during abdominal wound closures could prevent as many as one in eight cases of SSI.
“Surgical site infection is the world’s most common postoperative complication - a major burden for both patients and health systems,” said study co-author Aneel Bhangu, from the University of Birmingham. “Our work demonstrates that routine change of gloves and instruments is not only deliverable around the world, but also reduced infections in a range of surgical settings. Taking this simple step could reduce SSIs by 13% - simply and cost-effectively.”
Related Links:
University of Birmingham
Latest Surgical Techniques News
- Robotic Nerve ‘Cuffs’ Could Treat Various Neurological Conditions
- Flexible Microdisplay Visualizes Brain Activity in Real-Time To Guide Neurosurgeons
- Next-Gen Computer Assisted Vacuum Thrombectomy Technology Rapidly Removes Blood Clots
- Hydrogel-Based Miniaturized Electric Generators to Power Biomedical Devices
- Custom 3D-Printed Orthopedic Implants Transform Joint Replacement Surgery
- Wearable Technology Monitors and Analyzes Surgeons' Posture during Long Surgical Procedures
- Cutting-Edge Imaging Platform Detects Residual Breast Cancer Missed During Lumpectomy Surgery
- Computational Models Predict Heart Valve Leakage in Children
- Breakthrough Device Enables Clear and Real-Time Visual Guidance for Effective Cardiovascular Interventions
- World’s First Microscopic Probe to Revolutionize Early Cancer Diagnosis
- World’s Smallest Implantable Brain Stimulator Demonstrated in Human Patient
- Robotically Assisted Lung Transplants Could Soon Become a Reality
- AI to Provide Heart Transplant Surgeons with New Decision-Making Data
- New Surgical Tool Empowers Precision and Confidence in Operating Room
- Future Muscle-Powered Surgical Robots Could Perform Minimally Invasive Procedures inside Body
- Non-Invasive Technique Combines Cardiac CT with AI-Powered Blood Flow for Heart Bypass Surgery