Postoperatively, said Dr. Davidson, “a set of insulin orders within the electronic medical record [was] used to maintain euglycemia in all diabetic patients.”
After the surgical dressing was removed on the 2nd postoperative day, patients were given a handout and education about wound control and infection prevention.
Finally, all patients received postdischarge follow-up calls from nurses within 72 hours after discharge.
Patient characteristics generally were similar before (n = 1,085) and after (n = 1,261) SSI bundle implementation. Body mass index was slightly higher in the postbundle group, and women in this group also were less likely to have had a prior cesarean delivery. There were no significant differences in age, gravidity, ethnicity, or race.