A simple infection control strategy may reduce postoperative infections in orthopaedic patients. Biant and colleagues (p 149) analysed the effect of ring fencing of beds, screening for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) before admission, and a code of dress and behaviour on the orthopaedic ward in a district general hospital in Essex. After implementation of the strategy, postoperative infection decreased significantly; no new cases of MRSA infection occurred; and 17% more patients were treated without increasing the numbers of surgeons, beds, or operating sessions.
Figure 1.
Credit: DR KARI LOUNATMAA/SPL