The Infection Control Today® operating room page provides news articles and videos on the intersection between surgery and infection prevention. The operating room is a prime breeding ground for harmful pathogens to spread, resulting in surgical site infections. The role of the infection preventionist, together with the perioperative nursing staff, is to craft policies and processes to cut down on these infections and ensure patient safety during surgical procedures.
February 5th 2025
Nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP) is a deadly, overlooked infection impacting patient outcomes. With new diagnostic tools and prevention strategies, hospitals must prioritize oral hygiene to reduce risk.
Surgical Attire Debate Continues as Experts Weigh the Evidence
August 1st 2019Common sense dictates that limiting surgical patients' exposure to any reservoir that could harbor pathogenic organisms could help prevent surgical site infections (SSIs). Wearing proper surgical attire is a cornerstone of SSI prevention, yet there has been strident disagreement on some of the finer points of surgical attire and its impact on SSI rates.
The Clinical and Economic Case for Sterile, Disposable Instruments and Implants
August 1st 2019Recent news headlines reported two deaths and 179 exposures from contaminated surgical instruments used for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) at a university medical center in California.1 Similar infections also occurred in Washington, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.
Understanding Determinants of Infection Control Practices in Surgery
July 22nd 2019Despite a large literature on surgical site infection (SSI), the determinants of prevention behaviors in surgery remain poorly studied. Understanding key social and contextual components of surgical staff behaviour may help to design and implement infection control (IC) improvement interventions in surgery.
Decolonization for S. aureus Before Hip and Knee Replacements Achieved Cost Savings and Fewer SSIs
July 12th 2019While decolonization of Staphylococcus aureus reduces surgical site infection (SSI) rates following hip and knee arthroplasty, its cost-effectiveness is uncertain. Rennert-May, et al. (2019)