Reducing colorectal surgical site infections: a novel, resident-driven, quality initiative

Background Surgical site infections (SSIs) cause significant patient morbidity and increase costs. This work prospectively examines our institutional effort to reduce SSIs through a resident-driven quality initiative. Methods A general surgery resident-championed, evidenced-based care bundle for patients undergoing colorectal surgery at a single academic institution was developed using attending mentorship. National Surgical Quality Improvement Program definitions for SSIs were used. Data were collected prospectively and bundle compliance was monitored using a checklist. The primary outcome compared SSIs before and after implementation. Results In the 2 years preceding standardization, 489 colorectal surgery cases were performed. SSIs occurred in 68 patients (13.9% SSI rate). Following implementation of the bundle, 212 cases were performed with 10 SSIs (4.7% SSI rate, P <.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis found a decrease in superficial and overall SSIs (odds ratio.17, 95% confidence interval.05 to.59; odds ratio.31, 95% confidence interval.14 to.68). Conclusions These data demonstrate that resident-driven initiatives to improve quality of care can be a swift and effective way to enact change. We observed significantly decreased SSIs with a renewed focus on evidence-based, standardized patient care.