Reduced Infection Rates Following Hip and Knee Replacement Surgery

The Health Quality and Safety Commission (HQSC) has issued a report following an independent evaluation of its surgical site infection improvement programme. 

The report found that infections following hip and knee replacements have fallen which is likely due to the efforts of health professionals to reduce infection, including by implementing a ‘bundle’ of interventions recommended by the programme. The rate of orthopaedic infections per 100 procedures fell from 1.18 in mid-2015 to 0.93 in mid-2017, equating to 55 infections avoided.  More recent data indicates the number of infections avoided is now 87.

The HQSC website has a summary of the report and you can access the full report here.