Empowering patients through a perioperative prevention bundle to reduce surgical site infections in colorectal surgery

Abstract

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are common in colorectal surgery, with rates ranging from 5.4% to 30%. This study evaluated the impact of a perioperative prevention bundle on SSI incidence. Methods: A prospective cohort study with a before-after analysis was conducted from April 2022 to April 2023. The intervention included patient education, preoperative and postoperative chlorhexidine bathing, and mandatory glove change before fascial closure. Results: The implementation of the perioperative prevention bundle resulted in a significant reduction in the overall SSI rate, from 18.5% to 3.8% (P = .016). Superficial SSIs were decreased from 11.1% to 0% (P = .012), while reductions in deep and organ-space SSIs were not statistically significant. Additionally, rehospitalization rates within 30 days dropped from 14.0% to 2.0% (P = .029). The intervention achieved full compliance among patients and staff. Discussion: The individualized approach likely contributed to high compliance, potentially enabling patients to take a more active role in their care. Further research is needed to address the challenges associated with deep and organ-space infections. Conclusions: The implementation of a perioperative prevention bundle, emphasizing patient education and engagement, effectively reduced the incidence of SSIs and rehospitalization rates following colorectal surgery. © 2025 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc.