Preventing surgical site infection across the perioperative pathway

An entire pathway, not one room

WHO surgical site infection guidance spans preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative care.^[1] Quality work therefore includes communication between teams when schedules change, patients transfer or wound care continues at home. A completed form does not by itself establish a reliable care pathway.

Read recommendations in context

The WHO 2018 update considers evidence strength, resources and patient preferences; CDC also provides its 2017 prevention guideline.^[1][2] Surgical, anaesthetic and infection-prevention teams should review original recommendations and patient scope before selecting specific measures. Recommendations should not be presented as if all carry identical certainty.

A pathway-design suggestion

ICORP suggests choosing one surgical pathway first. Map information transfers and distinguish checks needed before proceeding from later follow-up. Define who resolves deviations and records the reasoning. Discharge communication should provide a contact channel patients can actually use and an identified team responsible for responding.

Make surveillance comparable

Suggested evaluation includes a consistent case-finding approach, recorded procedure categories and a defined follow-up window. Read outcomes alongside process reliability. Before comparing periods, check whether case finding or patient mix changed. This article does not prescribe antibiotic regimens, administration times or individual clinical treatment.