Is there an association between surgeon hat type and 30-day wound events following ventral hernia repair?

Main Operating Room Versus Field Sterility in Hand Surgery: A Review of the Evidence

Introduction: Many of the guidelines that are generally accepted as main operating room best practices are not evidence based. They are based on the concept that if some sterility is good, more must be better. They are not derived from evidence-based sterility. Evidence-based sterility is the study of which of our various sterility practices increase or decrease our infection rates, as opposed to guidelines based on how many bacteria are in the operating room. Methods: This article adds the most important evidence we could find that is not included in the first paper on evidence-based sterility in hand surgery published in 2019. In this review, we also balance the evidence with common sense opinion. Results: The 21st century has seen a rapid rise in the number and reports of hand surgery procedures performed with field sterility outside the main operating room. There is now an abundance of good evidence to support that the rate of infection is not higher when many hand operations are performed with field sterility in minor procedure rooms. Conclusion: Moving hand surgery out of the main operating room to minor procedure rooms should be supported by healthcare providers. The higher cost, increased solid waste, and inconvenience of main operating room surgery are not justifiable for many procedures because it does not reduce the risk of postoperative infection.

Reusable surgical headwear has a reduced carbon footprint and matches disposables regarding surgical site infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Surgical headwear is designed to maintain sterility and prevent microbial contamination. However, the environmental impact of the healthcare industry carries an obligation to develop sustainable alternatives. We aim to explore the environmental impact and safety of reusable surgical headwear. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed using MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library until December 10, 2023. Studies were reviewed for suitability and risk of bias using the ROBINS-I tool, with the results aggregated using Review Manager Version 5.4 for odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and the I2 was used to assess heterogeneity. This systematic review included nine studies, and the meta-analysis included six studies involving 45,708 procedural cases. There was no significant difference in surgical site infection (SSI) rates between the reusable and disposable groups (OR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.59-1.07; P=0.13). Policy implementation did not affect SSI rates (OR: 1.21; 95% CI: 0.85-1.73; P=0.30). Reusable surgical head covers demonstrated a significantly lower carbon footprint (P<0.001), ozone depletion (P<0.005), fossil fuel depletion (P<0.005), terrestrial acidification (P<0.005), and fine particulate matter formation (P<0.005) than disposable alternatives. Reusable surgical headwear matches disposable options for SSI incidence and offers environmental advantages. These findings support a shift towards reusable alternatives in healthcare, aligning patient safety with ecological responsibility. By adopting reusable alternatives, healthcare systems can actively contribute to planetary health, thereby highlighting the significant role of sustainable practices in modern medical settings.

The European Hernia Society Prehabilitation Project: A Systematic Review of Intra-Operative Prevention Strategies for Surgical Site Occurrences in Ventral Hernia Surgery

Background

Ventral hernia repair is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures worldwide. To reduce the risk of complications, pre- and intra-operative strategies have received increasing focus in recent years. To assess possible preventive surgical strategies, this European Hernia Society endorsed project was launched. The aim of this review was to evaluate the current literature focusing on pre- and intra-operative strategies for surgical site occurrences (SSO) and specifically surgical site infection (SSI) in ventral hernia repair.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted and reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Databases used were Pubmed and Web of Science. Original retrospective or prospective human adult studies describing at least one intra-operative intervention to reduce SSO after ventral hernia repair were considered eligible.

Results

From a total of 4775 results, a total of 18 papers were considered suitable after full text reading. Prehospital chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) scrub appears to increase the risk of SSO in patients undergoing ventral hernia repair, while there is no association between any type of surgical hat worn and the incidence of postoperative wound events. Intraoperative measures as prophylactic negative pressure therapy, surgical drain placement and the use of quilt sutures seem beneficial for decreasing the incidence of SSO and/or SSI. No positive effect has been shown for antibiotic soaking of a synthetic mesh, nor for the use of fibrin sealants.

Conclusion

This review identified a limited amount of literature describing specific preventive measures and techniques during ventral hernia repair. An advantage of prophylactic negative pressure therapy in prevention of SSI was observed, but different tools to decrease SSIs and SSOs continuously further need our full attention to improve patient outcomes and to lower overall costs.

Investigation of a cluster of rapidly growing mycobacteria infections associated with joint replacement surgery in a Kentucky hospital, 2013-2014 with 8-year follow-up

BACKGROUND

We describe the investigation of a nosocomial outbreak of rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) infections and the results of mitigation efforts after 8 years.

METHODS

A cluster of RGM cases in a Kentucky hospital in 2013 prompted an investigation into RGM surgical site infections following joint replacement surgery. A case-control study was conducted to identify risk factors.

RESULTS

Eight cases were identified, 5 caused by M. wolinskyi and 3 by M. goodii. The case-control study showed the presence of a particular nurse in the operating room was significantly associated with infection. Environmental sampling at the nurse's home identified an outdoor hot tub as the likely source of M. wolinskyi, confirmed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and whole genome sequencing. The hot tub reservoir was eliminated, and hospital policies were revised to correct infection control lapses. No new cases of RGM infections have been identified as of 2021.

DISCUSSION

Breaches in infection control practices at multiple levels may have led to a chain of infection from a nurse's hot tub to surgical sites via indirect person-to-person transmission from a colonized health care worker (HCW).

CONCLUSIONS

The multifactorial nature of the outbreak's cause highlights the importance of overlapping or redundant layers of protection preventing patient harm. Future investigations of RGM outbreaks should consider the potential role of colonized HCWs as a transmission vector.

Guidelines for clothing in the operating theatre, 2021

OBJECTIVE

To provide guidelines for the choice of items of clothing (except sterile surgical gown) for staff working in the operating theatre.

DESIGN

A committee of nine experts from SFAR and the SF2H learned societies was convened. A formal conflict-of-interest policy was developed at the beginning of the process and enforced throughout. Likewise, it did not benefit from any funding from a company marketing a health product (drug or medical device). The authors were required to follow the rules of the GRADE® method (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) to assess the quality of the evidence on which the recommendations were based.

METHODS

We aimed to formulate recommendations according to the GRADE® methodology for four different fields: operating theatre suits, operating theatre hats, masks, and shoes/over-shoes. Each question was formulated according to the PICO format (Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome). The literature review and recommendations were formulated according to the GRADE® methodology.

RESULTS

The experts' synthesis work and their application of the GRADE® method resulted in 13 recommendations. As the GRADE® method could not be integrally applied to all questions, some recommendations were formulated as expert opinions.

CONCLUSION

Based on strong agreement between experts, we produced 13 recommendations to guide the choice of operating theatre attire.

Evidence-based Prevention of Surgical Site Infection

Surgical site infection (SSI) remains an important complication of surgery. SSI is estimated to affect 2% to 5% of all surgical patients. Local and national efforts have resulted in significant improvements in the incidence of SSI. Familiarity with evidence surrounding high-quality SSI-reduction strategies is desirable. There exists strong evidence for mechanical and oral antibiotic bowel preparation in colorectal surgery, smoking cessation before elective surgery, prophylactic antibiotics, chlorhexidine-based skin antisepsis, and maintenance of normothermia throughout the perioperative period to reduce SSI. Use of other practices should be determined by the operating surgeon and/or local hospital policy.

Association of Disposable Perioperative Jackets With Surgical Site Infections in a Large Multicenter Health Care Organization

Importance

To help prevent surgical site infections (SSIs), recommendations by a national organization led to implementation of a mandatory operating room policy in a large multicenter health care organization of required use of disposable perioperative jackets.

Objective

To assess whether the use of perioperative disposable jackets is associated with the incidence of SSIs.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Surgical site infection data for patients undergoing clean surgical procedures were retrospectively reviewed from 12 hospitals in a large multicenter health care organization during a 55-month period from January 1, 2014, to July 31, 2018. The incidence of SSI was analyzed for all National Healthcare Safety Network monitored and reported procedures. The patient population was split into 2 groups; the preintervention group consisted of 29 098 patients within the 26 months before the policy starting March 1, 2016, and the postintervention group consisted of 30 911 patients within 26 months after the policy.

Main Outcome and Measures

Comparison of the incidence of SSIs before and after intervention periods underwent statistical analysis. The total number of disposable jackets purchased and total expenditures were also calculated.

Exposures

Implementation of the mandated perioperative attire policy.

Results

A total of 60 009 patients (mean [SD] age, 62.8 [13.9] years; 32 139 [53.6%] male) were included in the study. The overall SSI incidence for clean wounds was 0.87% before policy implementation and 0.83% after policy implementation, which was not found to be significant (odds ratio [OR], 0.96; 95% CI, 0.80-1.14; P = .61). After accounting for possible confounding variables, a multivariable analysis demonstrated no significant reduction in SSIs (OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.71-1.01; P = .07). During the postintervention study period (26 months), a total of 2 010 040 jackets were purchased, which amounted to a cost of $1 709 898.46.

Conclusions and Relevance

The results of this study suggest that the use of perioperative disposable jackets is not associated with reductions in SSI for clean wounds in a large multicenter health care organization and presents a fiscal burden.

METHODS FOR ASSESSING THE RISKS OF COMPLICATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH HERNIAS OF THE ANTERIOR ABDOMINAL WALL. REVIEW

The work is based on the analysis of literature data devoted to the problem of assessing postoperative complications in patients with primary and incisional hernias of the anterior abdominal wall. The main purpose of this review is identifying existing methods for assessing local, general perioperative complications and determining of the most reliable prognostic scales and methods for assessing risk factors among the existing ones.

The first part of the article is devoted to the assessment of the general condition of patients with hernias of the anterior abdominal wall. The existing scales for assessing modifiable risk factors (MFR), methods of preventing complications, including abdominal bandage, are considered. The main risk factors were determined: CDC wound class, patient age, hernia size, smoking, diabetes, risk 3 and higher according to ASA.

In the second part, the assessment of risk factors for complications from the surgical site is considered. The problem of terminology standardization, the difference between surgical site infection (SSI), adverse surgical events (SSO) and surgical site occurrences requiring procedural interventions (SSOPI) is described. Scales for assessing the risks of perioperative complications are presented. The evolution of SSO assessment methods from a four level to a three level scale is described. The Russian experience in assessing the combination of MFR is presented.

The third part describes the importance of evaluating post traumatic stress disorder in patients as a risk factor for an unfavorable course of the postoperative period. The European EuraHS QoL Questionnaire, recommended for use in the European Hernia Registry, is presented. The section also highlights the relevance of the selection of patients with hernias in outpatient surgery and one day hospitals.

The main idea of developing modern methods for assessing complications after hernioplasty is a comprehensive assessment of the patient's individual profile before operations for primary and incisional hernias in different risk groups. Priority should be given to tailored specific electronic questionnaires.