Impact of an infection prevention program on the behavior of surgeons and anesthetists in a public hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Surgical site infections (SSI) occupy a prominent place in nosocomial infection surveillance and control programs. There is evidence that up to 60% could be avoided. Our objective was to determine if the percentage of compliance with surgical infection prevention measures is higher after the implementation of a program in a public hospital.

Methods: Intersubject, observational, retrospective and cross-sectional comparative study. Record of compliance with prevention measures before and after instrumentation of the Program were analyzed. The Program consisted of: delivery of surgical clothing upon admission to the operating room, dissemination of SSI prevention recommendations, daily audit. Variables: professional category, proper use of surgical mask, scrubs, and surgical gowns, surgical hand hygiene, change of clothes when stained, and handling of personal effects within the operating room. The data were analyzed using VCCstat 3.0. 95% confidence intervals were estimated.

Results: In the control “Professional Category” variable, there were significant differences in all audited variables between surgeons and anesthetists, therefore, a separate population analysis was performed.
Surgeons and anesthetists improved the compliance of both adequate, change of clothes when stained and handling of personal effects within the operating room. The anesthetists also presented significant improvements in proper use of chinstrap and surgical hand hygiene.

Discussion: Program implementation was successful. Continuous efforts in the continuation of improvement is important. The effect on ISQ rates is a fact to be measured