Wound, bone and joint infections Flashcards
What is the epidemiology of surgical site infections?
In 2011 , 15.7% of HAI were SSIs
In US $ 600 million spent on knee and hip infections in 2009
Increased length of stay ( THR- 11 days longer)
What are the major surgical site pathogens?
Staph.aureus (MSSA and MRSA)
E.coli
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
What is the pathogenesis of surgical site infections?
Contamination of wound at operation
Pathogenicity and innoculum of microorganisms
Host immune response
How much bacteria will cause an infection?
If surgical site is contaminated with
> 10 5 microorganisms per gram of tissue, risk of SSI is increased.
The dose of contaminating bacteria required to cause infection is much lower if there is foreign material present e.g silk suture
What are the 3 levels of SSI?
Superficial incisional- affect skin and subcutaneous tissue
Deep incisional- affect fascial and muscle layers
Organ/space infection- any part of anatomy other than incision
What organism is likely to infection a patient post SAH?
- E.coli
- Enterobacter
- Neisseria meningitides
- MRSA
MRSA
When can you prevent an SSI?
Pre-operative phase
Intra-operative phase
Post-operative phase
Why is age a risk factor?
An independent risk factor
A direct linear trend of increasing risk until 65 years of age
A prospective study examining patient undergoing total hip replacement. Age over 75 was found to be a significant risk factor
Should you treat some infections remote to the surgical site pre operatively?
Treat all infections remote to the surgical site. May require operation to be postponed.
How does underlying illness affect infections?
ASA score of 3 or more
Diabetes – two to three fold increased risk. Association with post-op hyperglycaemia. Control blood glucose. HbA1C < 7
Malnutrition
Low serum albumin
Radiotherapy and steroid use. Taper steroids
Rheumatoid arthiritis. Stop disease modifying agents for 4 weeks before and 8 weeks post-op.
How does obesity impact infection?
Adipose tissue is poorly vascularised. Poor oxygenation of tissues and functioning of the immune response increases the risk of SSIs
Risk increased by 2 to 7 in patients with a BMI of 35 or more
How does smoking impact infection?
Smoking duration and number of cigarettes smoked
Nicotine delays primary wound healing
Peripheral vascular disease
Encourage tobacco cessation
How does Pre-operative showering impact infection?
Microorganisms colonising the skin may contaminate exposed tissues and cause an SSI
There is no difference in SSI incidence when chlorhexidine or detergent/bar soap is used
Patients should be advised to shower or bath using soap on the day of surgery or the day before
How does Hair removal impact infection?
Micro-abrasions caused by shaving with a razor may lead to multiplication of bacteria
Use electric clippers on the day of surgery with single-use head
Hair should not be removed unless it will interfere with the operation
How does Nasal decontamination impact infection?
S.aureus is carried in the nares of 20-30%
A multivariate analysis demonstrated that S.aureus carriage was the most powerful independent risk factor for SSI following cardiothoracic surgery
How does Antibiotic prophylaxis impact infection?
Antibiotic prophylaxis should be given at induction of anaesthesia
Bactericidal concentration of the drug should be established in serum and tissues at time of incision.
Additional doses may be necessary if there has been significant blood loss or if the operation has been prolonged
How do you manage infected surgical personnel?
Encourage surgical personnel who have symptoms of a transmissible infection to report to occupational health.
How do we control theatre traffic?
One person sheds 1 billion skin cells per day ; 10% carry bacteria
Microbial load in theatre is related to the number of people present
Theatre personnel should be kept to a minimum
How can we improve ventilation?
Maintain positive pressure ventilation
Maintain around 20 air changes per hour (of which at least 3must be fresh air)
Filter all air
Keep operating room doors closed
Consider laminar flow for orthopaedic implant surgery
Why should we sterilise surgical instruments?
Sterilise all surgical instruments
Inadequate sterilisation of surgical instruments has resulted in SSI outbreaks
How should we skin prep?
When skin is incised microorganisms may contaminate tissues and cause an SSI
Prepare skin at surgical site using antiseptic preparation: povidine-iodine or chlorhexidine.
Chlorhexidine in 70% alcohol is used
Why should we do aseptic technique?
Maintaining effective haemostasis while preserving adequate blood supply, gently handling tissues, avoiding inadvertent entries into hollow viscus, removing devitilised tissues and eradicating dead space.
Adhere to asepsis when placing intravascular devices or epidural catheters
Why is normothermia important?
Mild hypothermia appears to increase the risk of SSIs by causing vasoconstriction, decreased delivery of oxygen to wound space and subsequent impairment of neutrophil function
In theatre suite: Measure patients temperature before inducing anaesthesia. Start forced air warming if temperature is below 36ºC
Warm intravenous fluid. Warm irrigation fluid