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15 11 Tips for Reducing SSIs By Akanksha Jayanthi T he Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has released its 2013 National Healthcare Disparities Report. The report identifies which quality measures have improved from 2000 through 2001 to 2010 through 2011. Here are the 10 quality measures that are improving nationwide. 1. Patients with colon cancer receiving recommended treatment. 2. Adult patients with HIV who received highly active antiretroviral therapy during the year. 3. Adolescents between ages 13 and 15 who received at least one dose of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine. 4. Adolescents between ages 16 and 17 who received at least one dose of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine. 5. Adolescents between ages 13 and 15 who received at least one dose of the tetanus-diptheria-acellular pertussis booster. 6. Adolescents ages 16 to17 who received at least one dose of the diphtheria- acllular pertussis booster. 7. Hospital patients over 50 with pneumonia who received a vaccination. 8. Hospital patients with pneumonia who received an influenza screening or vaccination. 9. Hospital patients with a heart attack who received a percutaneous coro- nary intervention within 90 minutes of arrival. 10. Hospital patients with heart failure who are given complete, written dis- charge instructions. Here are the eight quality measures that are worsening nationwide. 1. Women between ages 21 and 65 who received a Pap smear in the past three years. 2. Diabetic adults older than 40 who had their feet checked for sores in the calendar year. 3. Admissions for patients at least 18 years old with diabetes with short term- complications, per 100,000 population. 4. Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. 5. Children between 19 and 35 months who received at least three doses of Haemophilius influenzae type B vaccination. 6. Suicide deaths per 100,000 population. 7. People with asthma taking preventive medicine daily or almost daily. 8. Postoperative physiological and metabolic derangements per 1,000 elective surgery admissions for patients at least 18 years old. n What Areas is Healthcare Quality Improving? Worsening? 10 quality measures on the rise, and eight on the decline By Akanksha Jayanthi T he Association of Perioperative Regis- tered Nurses provides a "Back to Ba- sics: Preventing Surgical Site Infections" guide, published in the AORN Journal. The guide outlines the risk of SSIs and how healthcare providers can take care to prevent such infections from occurring. Here are 11 tips to help prevent SSIs. 1. Clean hands often with alcohol-based prod- ucts. 2. Perform surgical skin antisepsis using appro- priate technique and antiseptic. 3. Wear scrubs that have been laundered by the facility. 4. Minimize traffic in the operating room. 5. Follow environmental cleaning protocols. 6. Develop SSI prevention strategies with patients and their families who have previously experienced SSIs. 7. Use a surgical safety checklist. 8. Use team training to encourage a team-based approach to preventing SSIs. 9. Minimize use of immediate use steam steril- ization. 10. Clean instruments prior to sterilizing and disinfecting. 11. Be vocal if a break in proper sterilization oc- curs and correct the error as soon as possible. The Back to Basics guide also outlines other literature and guidelines for preventing SSIs. n Note: This article was edited on April 29 to correct an error regarding the type of steam sterilization mentioned. ADVERTISING INDEX Note: Ad page number(s) given in parentheses ADVERTISER Breakaway Systems LLC inquiry@breakawaysystems.com / www.sanit-eyes.com / (713) 449- 9603 (p. 16, 17) PDI. www.PDIBeTheDifference.com / (800) 999-6423 (p. 2) Surgical Directions. info@surgicaldirections.com / www.surgicaldirections.com / (312) 870-5600 (p. 8, 10)