Tackling surgical infection prevention takes teamwork.

Abstract

Even though infection control practices have improved dramatically in the United States, surgical infections still are a problem for many hospitals, ranking as the second most common cause of nosocomial infections. But hospitals are finding ways to fight back by implementing best practices, redesigning systems, and using hospital-wide teams--which include administrators, surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, pharmacists, and environmental services staff--that cut across many departments.