Using a comprehensive audit to identify local context prior to care bundle design and implementation for inadvertent perioperative hypothermia in colorectal surgery

Reducing the risk of surgical site infections

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are commonly reported healthcare-acquired infections that can have a detrimental effect on patient outcomes and quality of life. SSIs are associated with longer periods of hospitalisation and increased patient morbidity and mortality. A rigorous approach is required to identify and manage the risk of infection across the preoperative, intraoperative and post-operative phases of care. This article describes the causes of, risk factors for development and signs and symptoms of SSIs. The author emphasises the importance of a collaborative, holistic and multidisciplinary approach to the prevention and management of SSIs, which involves the nurse and other healthcare professionals working in partnership with the patient.

Nurse anesthetists' perceptions of heat conservation measures in connection with surgery - a phenomenographic study

BACKGROUND

To minimize the risk of perioperative hypothermia, it is recommended that healthcare professionals be familiar with heat conservation measures and use passive and active warming methods, in line with international guidelines. However, there is a low level of adherence perioperatively to the use of heat conservation measures. To understand why, there is a need to capture the nurse anesthetists' perspective. The aim is to describe nurse anesthetists' perceptions of heat conservation measures in connection with surgery.

METHODS

An inductive descriptive design with a phenomenographic approach was chosen. A total of 19 nurse anesthetists participated and were interviewed. Data were analyzed according to Larsson and Holmström's phenomenographic seven-step model.

RESULTS

Six ways of understanding the phenomenon heat conservation measures in connection with surgery were found: the preventive, the useable, the untenable, the caring, the adaptive, and the routine care approach. These approaches were related to each other in a flexible way, allowing for several to co-exist at the same time, depending on the situation.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurse anesthetists want to prevent the patients' heat loss and maintain normothermia, regardless of the type of surgery. This willingness, motivation, and intention enable the use of heat conservation measures. However, there are perceptions that have an impact, such as doubts and uncertainty, access, time and financial constraints, preconditions, routines or habits, and lack of availability of education/training. These barriers will require support from an organizational level to promote lifelong education and guidelines. As well as offer education at the nurse anesthetists' program.

Implementation of multi-mode nursing insulation program for patients receiving surgery for spine tumor: a propensity score-matched analysis

BACKGROUND

Spinal tumor surgery usually involved long operation time, large area of soft tissue resection and long wound, and was prone to hypothermia during the operation. Therefore, actively promoting insulation and optimizing the intraoperative insulation program have great potential in reducing the incidence of hypothermia and reducing the incidence of postoperative complications. In this study, we compared patients who did not implement multi-mode nursing insulation program (MNIP) with those who implemented MNIP, observing and comparing clinical outcomes, and complications in both groups, with the aim of developing an optimal management plan for the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative periods, respectively.

METHODS

We selected 2 periods of 1 year, before (n = 120 patients) and after MINP implementation (n = 120 patients). Data were collected on patient demographics, operative, perioperative details, temperature changes, anesthesia recovery effect, incidence of postoperative wound infection, length of hospital stay and complications. PS analyses were used for dealing with confounding bias in this retrospective observational study.

RESULTS

After PS matching, the outcomes of 120 well-balanced pairs of patients were compared (No-MNIP vs MNIP). There was no significant difference concerning the satisfaction survey. The results indicated that the MNIP had better insulation effect at 90 min, 120 min, 150 min after anesthesia induction and after surgery. There were 16 cases of complications in the No-MNIP group and 5 cases in the MNIP group postoperative, which have significant statistical difference.

CONCLUSION

In this study, the incidence of intraoperative hypothermia was effectively reduced by adopting the multi-mode insulation scheme, thus reducing the incidence of incision infection and shortening the length of hospital stay of patients.