Ipswich Hospital has joined forces with 30 organisations across the NHS to reduce infections for patients having hip and knee replacement surgery.
The collaboration, called the Quality Improvement for Surgical Teams (QIST), will drive forward improvements for patients by scaling up interventions such as screening and the use of body wash for patients carrying the MSSA bug, potentially saving lives.
MSSA is a common cause of infection in joint replacement surgery. Research has shown that interventions – such as decolonisation using nasal gel treatments and body washes – can reduce the risk of infection from MSSA by 60%.
Trauma and orthopaedic surgeon Christopher Martin, who works for East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) and is based at Ipswich Hospital, said: “If, through this collaboration, we can prevent even just one infection – which can be devastating and life-changing for any patient and their loved ones – that will be fantastic.”
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