The December 2016 issue of the ASA Monitor was dedicated to infection control. In particular, one of the articles specifically mentions the “Role of Anesthesiologists in Infection Control.” Anesthesiologists and anesthesia care team providers are indeed responsible for patient safety. Hospital-acquired infection prevention is one of the safety responsibilities of high-quality patient care that we share with other clinical and non-clinical caregivers in the hospital setting.
At our institution, a major trauma center, analysis of surgical site infections is routinely reviewed, as is done so at all similar medical centers. It is not unusual that emergency and trauma cases are prone to hospital-acquired infections. This mandates more attention to those areas that are identified as potential interventions: hand hygiene, patient temperature, proper antibiotic selection and timing, glucose control, oxygenation, etc. We should add proper resuscitation, perfusion and surgical timing/promptness.
And though it is relatively easy to accept a reason for...