The effect of interventions on the incidence of surgical site infections in acute care settings: A systematic review

Aim: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are common healthcare associated infections with serious consequences for patients and healthcare organisations. It is critical that healthcare professionals implement prevention strategies to reduce the incidence of such infections. Prevention strategies are key to reducing the incidence of SSIs. The aim of this systematic review is to describe the effect of interventions conducted in acute care settings on the incidence of SSIs (primary outcome), length of stay, intensive care unit admission, and mortality rate (secondary outcomes). Materials and methods: This review is reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis checklist. A search was undertaken in Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO and Web of Science for studies published between January 2017 and March 2022. Studies that focused on interventions within acute hospital settings in patients undergoing elective surgery with the aim of reducing the incidences of SSIs were included. Due to heterogeneity results were synthesised narratively. Results: In total, 23 studies were included. Findings show that interventions that are effective in reducing the incidences of SSIs have multiple components including care bundles, stakeholder engagement, targeted surveillance and education. Few studies were identified that evaluated the effect of SSI prevention interventions on length of stay and mortality, and none assessed intensive care admission rates. Conclusions: The included interventions varied widely, which made it difficult to draw definitive conclusions regarding specific interventions that reduce SSI. Multicomponent interventions and care bundles showed promise in reducing the occurrence of SSIs. Further studies should focus on standardised evidence-based interventions and compliance using randomised controlled designs.