Preventing SSIs: the butterfly effect

There is no single solution to solve the problem of surgical site infection", was a key message of OneTogether's recent conference. The OneTogether programme was initiated as a quality improvement collaborative with the aim of supporting the adoption of best practice throughout the patient's surgical journey. The poignant symbol of this initiative is the butterfly. With the 'butterfly effect', small changes can lead to much larger changes and this is the founding principle behind the programme. Everyone can play their part and collective action can make a difference. In this way, small, individual actions can become "amplified to global proportions".

Experts in infection prevention and perioperative practice gathered at the conference to discuss the challenges and share best practices around prevention. Hot topics ranged from: 'The power of prediction', 'Facilitators and barriers to the implementation of care bundles', 'Rituals and behaviours in the operating theatre guidelines', 'How the National Wound Care Strategy programme is addressing surgical wound complications', 'Developments in incision wound care management', and much more...

Providing the opening address, Bill Kilvington, Patient Safety Lead, from The College of Operating Department Practitioners, explained that OneTogether is a partnership between leading professional organisations with an interest in the prevention of SSI — these include: the Infection Prevention Society, the Association for Perioperative Practice, the Central Sterilising Club, the College of Operating Department Practitioners, and the Royal College of Nursing, with sponsorship provided by 3M.