Post-Operative Hernia Site Infections

This doctoral project was a clinical practice guideline (CPG) focused on the development of a perioperative guideline for patients undergoing various types of hernia repairs. Hernia repair is a common surgical procedure to address various types of hernias.. To assure continued compliance with nationally set benchmarks and minimize the rate of postoperative hernia infections, a systematic review of evidence-based practices (EBP) to foster infection prevention was initiated at a hospital in England. The practice-focused question used was: For patients who underwent hernia repair surgery, what evidence informs CPG recommendations on the type of material, surgical interventions, and nursing interventions to prevent post-operative hernia site infections in hospitals? The purpose of the project was to address gaps in nursing practice by developing an evidence-based CPG. The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II tool was used to assess the methodological quality of practice guidelines. A 7-point Likert scale ranging from 7 (strongly agree) to 1 (strongly disagree) examined the 23 categories in six domains: scope and purpose, stakeholder involvement, rigor of development, clarity of presentation, applicability, and editorial independence. Mean of reviewers’ scores (N = 4) was 7 in four out of six domains and 6.75 in two of the domains, indicating a robust CPG had been developed and recommended for use, strengthening the use of evidence-based practice and enhancing accountability to reduce post-operative hernia site infection at the hospital site.