Mate wāhi hāparapara
Surgical site infections (SSIs) can cause emotional and financial stress, serious illness, longer hospital stays, long-term disabilities and even the loss of life. The good news is that a significant number of SSIs are preventable.
The Commission’s Surgical Site Infection Improvement Programme has developed and implemented a consistent, evidence-based approach for collecting and reporting high quality data about SSIs for orthopedic (hip and knee) and cardiac surgery.
The programme promotes and encourages culture change and provides guidance on practice improvements that reduce SSIs. Information about these areas is available below.
- Surgical skin antisepsis preparation
- SSII Programme cardiac surgery implementation manual
- SSII Programme orthopaedic implementation manual
- National periprosthetic joint infection sampling and culture guide
- Surgical site infection (SSI) investigation tool
- Anti-staphylococcal bundle to reduce SSI
- Light surveillance
- Surgical Site Infection Improvement Programme case studies
- Surgical site infection patient story: Ian Collis
- Patient narratives of surgical site infection: implications for practice (External link, The Journal of Hospital Infections)
- Surveying surgical site infections
- Stay safe from infection
- Patient brochure: Preventing infection after surgery (1.3MB, pdf)
- Surgical site infection rate is higher following hip and knee arthroplasty when cefazolin is underdosed
- Getting surgical antibiotic prophylaxis right, lessons from the National Orthopaedic Surgical Site Infection Improvement Programme: a call for action
- The New Zealand Surgical Site Infection Improvement (SSII) Programme: a national quality improvement programme reducing orthopaedic surgical site infections
- BMI is a key risk factor for early periprosthetic joint infection following total hip and knee arthroplasty
- Evaluation of the surgical site infection improvement programme
- Excess cost associated with primary hip and knee joint arthroplasty surgical site infections: a driver to support investment in quality improvement strategies to reduce infection rates
Data
- SSII national cardiac dashboard
- SSII national orthopaedic dashboard
- SSII Programme data collection forms
Guidance
- Surgical skin antisepsis preparation
- SSII Programme cardiac surgery implementation manual
- SSII Programme orthopaedic implementation manual
- National periprosthetic joint infection sampling and culture guide
- Surgical site infection (SSI) investigation tool
- Anti-staphylococcal bundle to reduce SSI
- Light surveillance
- Surgical Site Infection Improvement Programme case studies
Patient stories and resources
- Surgical site infection patient story: Ian Collis
- Patient narratives of surgical site infection: implications for practice (External link, The Journal of Hospital Infections)
- Surveying surgical site infections
- Stay safe from infection
- Patient brochure: Preventing infection after surgery (1.3MB, pdf)
Resources
- Systematic review of surgical site infections in cardiac and orthopaedic surgery
- Surgical Site Infection Improvement Programme information sheet
- Surgical site infection surveillance cost benefit analysis
- Surgical Site Infection Improvement Programme frequently asked questions
Videos
Webinars
Reports and publications
- Surgical site infection rate is higher following hip and knee arthroplasty when cefazolin is underdosed
- Getting surgical antibiotic prophylaxis right, lessons from the National Orthopaedic Surgical Site Infection Improvement Programme: a call for action
- The New Zealand Surgical Site Infection Improvement (SSII) Programme: a national quality improvement programme reducing orthopaedic surgical site infections
- BMI is a key risk factor for early periprosthetic joint infection following total hip and knee arthroplasty
- Evaluation of the surgical site infection improvement programme
- Excess cost associated with primary hip and knee joint arthroplasty surgical site infections: a driver to support investment in quality improvement strategies to reduce infection rates