Abstract Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a major cause of post-operative morbidity, prolonged hospitalisation and increased healthcare costs. Nurses play a pivotal role in SSI prevention, yet knowledge gaps often exist, especially in developing countries. Structured teaching programmes (STPs) are effective interventions to enhance nurses’ knowledge and adherence to evidence-based practices. Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of a STP on nurses’ knowledge regarding the prevention of SSIs and to examine the association between post-test knowledge scores and selected demographic variables. Materials and Methods: A one-group pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design was conducted among 40 registered nurses in a selected hospital. A structured knowledge questionnaire on SSI prevention was administered before and 1 week after the intervention. The STP included lectures, demonstrations, printed materials and interactive sessions. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, paired t -test and analysis of variance. Results: Pre-test assessment indicated that 80% of nurses had average knowledge, 15% good and 5% poor knowledge. Post-intervention, 67.5% achieved excellent knowledge, and 32.5% had good knowledge. The mean knowledge score increased significantly from 10.50 ± 2.20 to 19.40 ± 1.90 ( t = 27.81, P < 0.05). Years of professional experience and duration in the current position were significantly associated with post-test knowledge scores ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: The STP was highly effective in improving nurses’ knowledge regarding SSI prevention. Continuous educational interventions should be implemented to enhance infection control practices, improve patient outcomes and reduce SSIs in healthcare settings.
Instrument-related safety incidents in the operating room remain an important yet under-recognised threat to patient safety, despite widespread adoption of surgical safety checklists. Retained surgical items and near-miss events continue to be reported in the literature even after the implementation of standardised safety protocols. Modular surgical instruments with detachable components pose unique risks, as component-wise verification is often not routinely practiced. We report a near-miss intraoperative event involving a self-retaining abdominal wall retractor in which a detachable screw was found to be missing at the conclusion of surgery. Although no retained foreign body was ultimately identified, the incident resulted in diagnostic uncertainty and the need for intraoperative imaging. This case highlights a critical gap in current surgical safety practices and underscores the need for component-wise verification of modular instruments to enhance operating room safety and prevent avoidable near-miss events.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents one of the most formidable global health threats of the 21 st century, undermining decades of progress in maternal and neonatal care. Obstetrics and gynaecology (OBG) is a speciality with substantial antimicrobial exposure owing to its high procedural volume, routine use of prophylactic antibiotics and frequent management of infections across pregnancy, childbirth, abortion care and gynaecologic surgery. While antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes have gained momentum in general medicine and critical care, their systematic integration into OBG remains limited. This narrative review critically examines the burden of AMR in OBG, the unique vulnerability of pregnant women to infection and sepsis, and the far-reaching consequences of antimicrobial misuse on neonatal health. It further explores common patterns of inappropriate antibiotic use, evidence-based stewardship frameworks applicable to OBG practice, and the importance of integrating AMS with infection prevention strategies. Emerging diagnostic technologies and novel therapeutic approaches that may reconcile early sepsis management with judicious antimicrobial use are also discussed. Strengthening antimicrobial stewardship in OBG is not only a clinical necessity but also an ethical imperative to safeguard maternal safety, neonatal health, and the effectiveness of antibiotics for future generations.
Air travel presents unique challenges for infection control due to confined spaces, recirculated air, and the large number of passengers moving through the environment. This article examines infection prevention strategies during air travel, focusing on the cabin environment, common health issues, types of infections, and their transmission mechanisms. A review articles highlights the specific risks air travel poses for the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, tuberculosis, influenza, and other viral illnesses, and highlights the importance of robust measures to mitigate these risks. Limitations in current screening measures and furthermore, it explores effective mitigation strategies, including pre-boarding screenings, in-flight infection control measures, and post-flight interventions and emerging technologies to prevent these infection. This review also highlighted the role of cabin crew in infection prevention during air travel.
Endobags are commonly used in laparoscopic surgeries for safe specimen retrieval, and complications associated with them are rare. We report a unique case of a 48-year-old woman undergoing laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy for a benign ovarian mass, during which the endobag could not be visualised intraabdominally after its introduction through the main port. Despite thorough intraoperative camera-guided exploration, the endobag remained untraceable, prompting conversion to open surgery. The endobag was ultimately located between the rectus sheath and rectus abdominis muscle, having failed to enter the peritoneal cavity. It was retrieved, and the abdominal wall was closed in layers. The patient had an uneventful recovery. This case highlights a rare but serious intraoperative complication with potential implications for patient safety.
Introduction: The dynamic healthcare landscape places a significant emphasis on providing safe, high-quality care, with patient safety being a cornerstone of professional nursing practice and requires healthcare professionals to master key concepts such as patient safety culture, effective communication, risk management and the identification and mitigation of adverse events. Nurses play a crucial role in detecting and preventing errors, highlighting the need to assess their competence and attitudes towards patient safety to improve outcomes and promote a culture of continuous improvement. Objective: The objective of the study is to assess the level of competence and attitude towards patient safety among clinical nurses and to find its association with selected demographic variables. Methodology: Quantitative research approach with a cross-sectional descriptive design was used and 100 clinical nurses were selected using purposive sampling technique. Results: 100 (100%) clinical nurses had adequate competence and 60 (60%) had positive attitude towards patient safety, 39 (39%) had moderately favourable attitude and 1 (1%) had negative attitude towards patient safety. The study found a mean competence score of 17.42 ± 1.73 and a mean attitude score of 82.21 ± 17.26 among clinical nurses. A positive correlation was found between competence and attitude scores toward patient safety among clinical nurses (r = 0.316), which was statistically significant ( P < 0.001). The demographic variable working unit (χ² = 11.483, P = 0.043) showed a statistically significant association with the level of competence toward patient safety among clinical nurses at the P < 0.05 level. Similarly, the demographic variable previous training courses related to patient safety (χ² = 7.590, P = 0.022) showed a statistically significant association with the level of attitude toward patient safety among clinical nurses at the P < 0.05 level. Conclusion: The study suggested that continuous education, organisational support and fostering a safety-oriented culture are critical to improving patient safety outcomes.
Subcutaneous emphysema (SE) is an uncommon but important complication of laparoscopic surgery, usually related to carbon dioxide insufflation. Although often benign, it may indicate potentially serious intraoperative or post-operative complications. We present the case of SE following laparoscopic repair of uterine perforation, highlighting risk factors, preventive strategies and patient safety implications.
