Surgical site dressing practice

Abstract

Background: Surgical site infections (SSI) compose of 20% of all healthcare-associated infections. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess the surgical site dressing practices. Event sampling was adopted, and 88 dressing procedures were observed. The perceived barriers in following infection control measures were assessed by questionnaire. Results: There was a lack of aseptic wound dressing practices among healthcare professionals. Heavy workload and inadequate staff to assist in dressing procedures were considered as the major barriers. Conclusion:Evidence-Based practice guidelines should be established, and healthcare professionals should adhere to the infection control measures to reduce the incidence of SSI.