The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the first Global Patient Safety Challenge in 2005 and introduced the ‘5 moments of hand hygiene’ in 2009 in an attempt to reduce the burden of health care associated infections. Many NHS trusts in England adopted this model of hand hygiene, which prompts health care workers to clean their hands at five distinct stages of caring for the patient. Our review analyses the scientific foundation for the five moments of hand hygiene and explores the evidence, as referenced by WHO, to support these recommendations. We found no strong scientific support for this regime of hand hygiene as a means of reducing health care associated infections. Consensus-based guidelines based on weak scientific foundations should be assessed carefully to prevent shifting the clinical focus from more important issues and to direct limited resources more effectively.

We recommend caution in the universal adoption of the WHO ‘5 moments of hand hygiene’ by orthopaedic surgeons and other health care workers and emphasise the need for evidence-based principles when adopting hospital guidelines aimed at promoting excellence in clinical practice.

Purpose of Study- To deliver high quality and high volume major joint replacement surgery through rigorous infection control and reduce both infective complications and late cancellations. Deep infection complicating arthroplasty surgery carries a heavy fnancial and emotional burden on any orthopaedic service. The cost of hospital acquired infection is estimated at £1 billion per year 1 by the National Audit Office. Healthcare associated infection is an area currently under great scrutiny. Each NHS trust will have an Inspector of Microbiology, who will ensure the co-ordination of information required to diagnose healthcare associated infection. The Alexandra Hospital, Redditch has developed a dedicated elective orthopaedic ward free from multi resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). that delivers high quality and high volume major joint replacement surgery through rigorous infection control. Between October 2001 and December 2002, the Alexandra hospital had an infection rate of 0.21% for total knee replacements compared to the national rate of 2.1% p= 0.002 (CI 0.00005–0.01) The infection rate for total hip replacements was 1.31% compared to 3.8% nationwide. p = 0.01 (CI 0.004–0.03). The total number of joint replacements performed per year increased from 256 in 2000 to 629 in 2002. We have developed a safe, effective and efficient orthopaedic unit within the framework of an NHS trust for a relatively modest investment. We believe the practical changes that have been made within our department can be repeated in other units around the country with relative ease

Healthcare associated infections (HAI) pose a major threat to patients admitted to hospitals, and infection rates following orthopaedic arthroplasty surgery are as high as 4%, while the infection rates are even higher after revision surgery. 405 nm High-Intensity Narrow Spectrum (HINS) light has been proven to reduce environmental contamination in hospital isolation rooms, and there is potential to develop this technology for application in orthopaedic surgery. Cultured rat osteoblasts were exposed to 405 nm light to investigate if bactericidal doses of light could be used safely in the presence of mammalian cells. Cell viability was measured by MTT reduction and microscopy techniques, function by alkaline phosphatase activity, and proliferation by the BrdU assay. Exposures of up to a dose of 36 J/cm. 2. had no significant effect on osteoblast cell viability, whilst exposure of a variety of clinically relevant bacteria, to 36 J/cm. 2. resulted in up to 100% kill. Exposure to a higher dose of 54 J/cm. 2. significantly affected the osteoblast cell viability, indicating dose dependency. Work also demonstrated that 405 nm light exposure induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in both mammalian and bacterial cells, as shown by fluorescence generated from 6-carboxy-2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate dye. The mammalian cells were significantly protected from dying at 54 J/cm. 2. by catalase, which detoxifies H. 2. O. 2. Bacterial cells were significantly protected by sodium pyruvate (H. 2. O. 2. scavenger) and by a combination of free radical scavengers (sodium pyruvate, dimethyl thiourea (·OH scavenger), catalase) at 162 and 324 J/cm. 2. Thus the cytotoxic mechanism of 405 nm light in mammalian cells and bacteria is likely oxidative stress involving predominantly H. 2. O. 2. generation, with other ROS contributing to the damage. Additional work describing the potential for incorporation of this antimicrobial light within operating theatre lighting systems will also be discussed, and this, coupled with the cell viability and cytotoxicity results, suggests that 405 nm light could have great potential for continual patient safe decontamination during orthopaedic replacement surgeries and thereby reduce the incidence of infections

In 1990 an estimated 1.3 million hip fractures occurred worldwide. Clostridium difficile diarrhoea has emerged as a healthcare associated infection of great clinical and economic significance especially in the frail and vulnerable group of fracture neck of femur patients. The major risk factor is peri-operative antibiotic exposure especially cephalosporins. A retrospective audit was performed to study the effect of C. Difficile in operated fracture neck of femur patients. All the patients who were diagnosed with C. Difficile infection after an operated fracture neck of femur at the District general hospital from April 2004 till March 2007 were included in the present study. All patients received the routine peri-operative antibiotic prophylaxis of three doses of intravenous cefuroxime. Data collected included age, sex, duration between operation and the onset of diarrhoea, length of stay and associated mortality. A total of 1023 patients underwent surgery for fracture neck of femur during the three years of study period. The average age of the patients was 81 years. 80% of the patients were females. A total of 62 patients suffered from C. Difficile diarrhoea (6%) after the arthroplasty procedure, and within this cohort, 29 patients died during the same admission to the hospital (47%). The average length of stay for a patient with fracture neck of femur was increased from 23.4 to 60 days in those affected with C. Difficile. The patients with fracture neck of femur are generally elderly with poor body reserves. C.difficile infection in such patients not only adds to the morbidity, but also causes significant increase in the mortality rate. Propagation of simple infection control measures such as hand-washing and isolation and change of peri-operative antibiotic protocol led to a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of C.Difficile infections after fracture neck of femur surgery

Introduction: Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea (CDAD) has emerged as a healthcare associated infection of great clinical and economic significance. C. difficile is thought to cause about a quarter of cases of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea overall, but accounts for a greater proportion of more severe disease. The type ‘027’ strains are multi-resistant and cause severe morbidity and mortality. A retrospective audit was performed to study the effect of C. Difficile infection in elective orthopaedic surgery patients (hip/knee arthroplasties). Material and Methods: All the patients who were diagnosed with C. Difficile after a primary elective joint arthroplasties, performed at the District general hospital during the three year study period from April2004 till March 2007 were included in the present study. All patients received the routine peri-operative antibiotic prophylaxis of three doses of intra-venous cefuroxime. Data collected included age, sex, duration between operation and the onset of diarrhoea, length of stay and associated mortality. Results: A total of 1430 patients underwent primary hip or knee arthroplasties during the three years of study period. A total of 32 patients suffered from C. Difficile diarrhoea (2.2%) after the arthroplasty procedure, and within this cohort, 5 patients died during the same admission to the hospital (0.35%). The average length of stay for an elective lower limb joint arthroplasty was increased from 10 days to 43 days due to the affection with C. Difficile diarrhoea. Discussion: C. difficile infection not only adds to the morbidity, but also causes significant increase in the mortality rate after elective joint replacement. The broad spectrum peri-operative antibiotics used to prevent infection after a joint replacement generally render the patient vulnerable to this highly lethal hospital bug. Introduction of simple hygiene measure such as hand-washing and change of peri-operative antibiotic protocol lead to a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of C. Dificcile infections after elective joint replacement surgery without compromising arthroplasty results

Introduction: In 1990 an estimated 1.3 million hip fractures occurred worldwide, a figure which is expected to double by 2025 and increase to 4.5 million by 2050. Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea (CDAD) has emerged as a healthcare associated infection of great clinical and economic significance especially in the frail and vulnerable group of fracture neck of femur patients. A major risk factor for the development of CDAD in patients who undergo operation for fracture neck of femur is the perioperative antibiotic exposure, with cephalosporins being particularly implicated. The type ‘027’ strains of C. Difficile are multi-resistant and cause severe morbidity and mortality. A retrospective audit was performed to study the effect of C. Difficile infection in operated fracture neck of femur patients. Material and Methods: All the patients who were diagnosed with C. Difficile after an operated fracture neck of femur at the District general hospital during the three year study period from April 2004 till March 2007 were included in the present study. All patients received the routine peri-operative antibiotic prophylaxis of three doses of intravenous cefuroxime. Data collected included age, sex, duration between operation and the onset of diarrhoea, length of stay and associated mortality. Results: A total of 1023 patients underwent surgery for fracture neck of femur during the three years of study period. The average age of the patients was 81 years. 80% of the patients were females. A total of 62 patients suffered from C. Difficile diarrhoea (6%) after the arthroplasty procedure, and within this cohort, 29 patients died during the same admission to the hospital (47%). The average length of stay for a patient with fracture neck of femur was increased from 23.4 days to 60 days in those affected with C. Difficile diarrhoea. Discussion: The patients with fracture neck of femur are generally elderly, frail and with poor body reserves. C.difficile infection in such patients not only adds to the morbidity, but also causes significant increase in the mortality rate. The broad spectrum peri-operative antibiotics used to prevent infection generally render the patient vulnerable to this highly lethal hospital bug. Introduction of simple infection control measures such as hand-washing and isolation, and change of peri-operative antibiotic protocol led to a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of C. Difficile infections after surgery for fracture neck of femur

Aims

Hand trauma, consisting of injuries to both the hand and the wrist, are a common injury seen worldwide. The global age-standardized incidence of hand trauma exceeds 179 per 100,000. Hand trauma may require surgical management and therefore result in significant costs to both healthcare systems and society. Surgical site infections (SSIs) are common following all surgical interventions, and within hand surgery the risk of SSI is at least 5%. SSI following hand trauma surgery results in significant costs to healthcare systems with estimations of over £450 per patient. The World Health Organization (WHO) have produced international guidelines to help prevent SSIs. However, it is unclear what variability exists in the adherence to these guidelines within hand trauma. The aim is to assess compliance to the WHO global guidelines in prevention of SSI in hand trauma.

Aims

Hand trauma accounts for one in five of emergency department attendances, with a UK incidence of over five million injuries/year and 250,000 operations/year. Surgical site infection (SSI) in hand trauma surgery leads to further interventions, poor outcomes, and prolonged recovery, but has been poorly researched. Antimicrobial sutures have been recognized by both the World Health Organization and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence as potentially effective for reducing SSI. They have never been studied in hand trauma surgery: a completely different patient group and clinical pathway to previous randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of these sutures. Antimicrobial sutures are expensive, and further research in hand trauma is warranted before they become standard of care. The aim of this protocol is to conduct a feasibility study of antimicrobial sutures in patients undergoing hand trauma surgery to establish acceptability, compliance, and retention for a definitive trial.

Deep infection was identified as a serious complication in the earliest days of total hip arthroplasty. It was identified that airborne contamination in conventional operating theatres was the major contributing factor. As progress was made in improving the engineering of operating theatres, airborne contamination was reduced. Detailed studies were carried out relating airborne contamination to deep infection rates.

In a trial conducted by the United Kingdom Medical Research Council (MRC), it was found that the use of ultra-clean air (UCA) operating theatres was associated with a significant reduction in deep infection rates. Deep infection rates were further reduced by the use of a body exhaust system. The MRC trial also included a detailed microbiology study, which confirmed the relationship between airborne contamination and deep infection rates.

Recent observational evidence from joint registries has shown that in contemporary practice, infection rates remain a problem, and may be getting worse. Registry observations have also called into question the value of “laminar flow” operating theatres.

Observational evidence from joint registries provides very limited evidence on the efficacy of UCA operating theatres. Although there have been some changes in surgical practice in recent years, the conclusions of the MRC trial remain valid, and the use of UCA is essential in preventing deep infection.

There is evidence that if UCA operating theatres are not used correctly, they may have poor microbiological performance. Current UCA operating theatres have limitations, and further research is required to update them and improve their microbiological performance in contemporary practice.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:1264–9.