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Reduction of early surgical site and other care related infections in 3553 hip fracture patients : lessons learned from the 5-year Safe Hands project

Erichsen Andersson, Annette ; Gillespie, Brigid M. ; Karlsson, Magnus ; Malchau, Henrik ; Nellgård, Bengt LU ; Wikström, Ewa ; Rogmark, Cecilia LU and Tillander, Jonatan (2022) In Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control 11(1).
Abstract

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) after acute hip fracture surgery is a devastating complication associated with increased suffering and mortality. The aim of the study was to investigate early SSI, sepsis, pneumonia and urinary tract infections over five years, before and after the implementation of the Safe Hands project. Methods: This was a single-centre observational study with a 5-year longitudinal design, investigating the effects of an infection-prevention intervention targeting the clinical care pathway of individuals with acute hip fracture. Statistical analyses were based on routinely collected patient outcome data comprising 3553 patients. The study conforms to the criteria of the Strengthening the Reporting of... (More)

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) after acute hip fracture surgery is a devastating complication associated with increased suffering and mortality. The aim of the study was to investigate early SSI, sepsis, pneumonia and urinary tract infections over five years, before and after the implementation of the Safe Hands project. Methods: This was a single-centre observational study with a 5-year longitudinal design, investigating the effects of an infection-prevention intervention targeting the clinical care pathway of individuals with acute hip fracture. Statistical analyses were based on routinely collected patient outcome data comprising 3553 patients. The study conforms to the criteria of the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE). Results: The incidence of early SSIs decreased from 2.5% in years 1–2 to 1.1% in years 4–5. Similar results were observed for sepsis (2.7% to 1.3%) and urinary tract infections (14.2% to 4.2%). The multivariable regression results suggest that, for every observed year, the odds of early SSIs decreased. Male gender, procedure time, sepsis and preoperative skin damage increased the odds significantly. Conclusions: Our preventive bundle, based on partnership between researchers, managers and clinicians and a strong commitment to change from the involved professions, appear to be effective in reducing the frequency of potentially devastating SSIs and other hospital acquired infections after hip fracture surgery. The use of external and internal facilitators was crucial to enable individual and organisational learning and overcoming barriers to improvements. Trial registration: Clinical Trials.gov ID: NCT02983136 Registered 6 December 2016—Retrospectively registered.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Hip fracture, Hip surgery, Implementation research, Infection prevention, Knowledge translation, Surgical site infections
in
Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control
volume
11
issue
1
article number
113
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • pmid:36064457
  • scopus:85137201415
ISSN
2047-2994
DOI
10.1186/s13756-022-01153-4
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ae81cfbc-1fbb-4466-81e9-69c75193810c
date added to LUP
2022-11-11 15:58:50
date last changed
2025-07-12 11:19:06
@article{ae81cfbc-1fbb-4466-81e9-69c75193810c,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) after acute hip fracture surgery is a devastating complication associated with increased suffering and mortality. The aim of the study was to investigate early SSI, sepsis, pneumonia and urinary tract infections over five years, before and after the implementation of the Safe Hands project. Methods: This was a single-centre observational study with a 5-year longitudinal design, investigating the effects of an infection-prevention intervention targeting the clinical care pathway of individuals with acute hip fracture. Statistical analyses were based on routinely collected patient outcome data comprising 3553 patients. The study conforms to the criteria of the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE). Results: The incidence of early SSIs decreased from 2.5% in years 1–2 to 1.1% in years 4–5. Similar results were observed for sepsis (2.7% to 1.3%) and urinary tract infections (14.2% to 4.2%). The multivariable regression results suggest that, for every observed year, the odds of early SSIs decreased. Male gender, procedure time, sepsis and preoperative skin damage increased the odds significantly. Conclusions: Our preventive bundle, based on partnership between researchers, managers and clinicians and a strong commitment to change from the involved professions, appear to be effective in reducing the frequency of potentially devastating SSIs and other hospital acquired infections after hip fracture surgery. The use of external and internal facilitators was crucial to enable individual and organisational learning and overcoming barriers to improvements. Trial registration: Clinical Trials.gov ID: NCT02983136 Registered 6 December 2016—Retrospectively registered.</p>}},
  author       = {{Erichsen Andersson, Annette and Gillespie, Brigid M. and Karlsson, Magnus and Malchau, Henrik and Nellgård, Bengt and Wikström, Ewa and Rogmark, Cecilia and Tillander, Jonatan}},
  issn         = {{2047-2994}},
  keywords     = {{Hip fracture; Hip surgery; Implementation research; Infection prevention; Knowledge translation; Surgical site infections}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control}},
  title        = {{Reduction of early surgical site and other care related infections in 3553 hip fracture patients : lessons learned from the 5-year Safe Hands project}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13756-022-01153-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s13756-022-01153-4}},
  volume       = {{11}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}