No abstract

A panel of experts was convened by the International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID) to overview evidence based strategies to reduce the transmission of pathogens via the hands of healthcare workers and the subsequent incidence of hospital acquired infections with a focus on implementing these strategies in low-and middle-income countries. Existing data suggests that hospital patients in low-and middle-income countries are exposed to rates of healthcare associated infections at least 2-fold higher than in high income countries. In addition to the universal challenges to the implementation of effective hand hygiene strategies, hospitals in low-and middle-income countries face a range of unique barriers, including overcrowding and securing a reliable and sustainable supply of alcohol-based handrub. The WHO Multimodal Hand Hygiene Improvement Strategy and its associated resources represent an evidence-based framework for developing a locally-adapted implementation plan for hand hygiene promotion.

Despite remarkable developments in the use of surgical techniques, ergonomic advancements in the operating room, and implementation of bundles, surgical site infections (SSIs) remain a substantial burden, associated with increased morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. National and international recommendations to prevent SSIs have been published, including recent guidelines by the World Health Organization, but implementation into clinical practice remains an unresolved issue. SSI improvement programs require an integrative approach with measures taken during the pre-, intra- and postoperative care from the numerous stakeholders involved. The current SSI prevention strategies have focused mainly on the role of healthcare workers (HCWs) and procedure related risk factors. The importance and influence of patient participation is becoming an increasingly important concept and advocated as a means to improve patient safety. Novel interventions supporting an active participative role within SSI prevention programs have not been assessed. Empowering patients with information they require to engage in the process of SSI prevention could play a major role for the implementation of recommendations. Based on available scientific evidence, a panel of experts evaluated options for patient involvement in order to provide pragmatic recommendations for pre-, intra- and postoperative activities for the prevention of SSIs. Recommendations were based on existing guidelines and expert opinion. As a result, 9 recommendations for the surgical patient are presented here, including a practice brief in the form of a patient information leaflet. HCWs can use this information to educate patients and allow patient engagement.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13756-017-0202-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

No abstract