Postoperative wound infections are a serious complication in open heart surgery leading to significant morbidity and mortality, prolonged hospitalisation and increasing costs of care. Of the 405 screened patients, surgical site infections occurred in seven patients (1.7%): two (0.5%) were superficial infections and five (1.2%) were deep infections. Post-discharge surveillance and antibiotic prophylaxis remain essential tools for the reliable assessment of surgical wound infections.

Surgical site skin infections (SSIs) following c-section are significant but preventable complications that affect vulnerable mothers. In our study, length of stay in hospital was increased in women with infection and a quarter were readmitted to hospital. After implementing alcoholic 2% chlorhexidine, adding gentamicin to cephazolin prophylaxis, administering prophylactic antibiotic before skin incision and educating staff, the rate of SSI at RDH nearly halved. This study confirms the role of c-section SSI surveillance and feedback to detect areas for improvement and to implement change.

The antimicrobial efficacy of 1 and 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) preparations with a povidone–iodine preparation was compared on sites commonly used for catheter insertion. The preparations were found to be not significantly different in efficacy. According to this study, practices in Japan, where pharmaceutical regulations limit CHG in antiseptics to 1%, could safely make changes to comply with CDC guidelines that recommend the use of 1% CHG in antiseptics.

Hand hygiene is a basic and essential but poorly conducted method to limit infection in hospitals. This practice development approach, using multiple methods, to implementing the ‘5 Moments for Hand Hygiene’ national initiative was successful in improving compliance and decreasing rates of bacteraemia.

A healthcare associated infection surveillance program was implemented and evaluated in 30 residential aged care facilities (RACF). The sensitivity and positive predictive value of infection data reported by RACF staff was calculated as 97.1% and 56.5% respectively. Although recommended, the implementation of a RACF HAI surveillance program can be difficult. Strategies are required to improve the accuracy of data collected.