title: Surgical wound infections: a 63-month survey in a developmental institution.
abstract: Michener Centre, a developmental institution of 1200 residents, instituted a nosocomial infection control program in October 1983, which included surgical wound monitoring. Of the 336 clean and clean-contaminated operations performed in the next 63 months, there were 15 wound infections attributable to the surgeon; another 7 occurred which were directly attributable to the patient's postoperative behaviour. Six of the seven occurred in severely retarded patients. The wound infection rate dropped during the surveillance period from 23% to 4.1% or less. Careful preselection of patients for elective surgery and studious attention to postoperative nursing care are necessary to achieve these rates or to reduce them further, particularly amongst severely retarded patients.
authors.affiliation: Michener Centre, Red Deer, Alta.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lampard
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D006306:Health Surveys; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology