Ms Bern Squires1
1Albury Wodonga Health, Wodonga, Australia
Biography:
Bern is the Director of Infection Prevention and Surveillance at Albury Wodonga Health. She has extensive Infection prevention experience in Australia and the United Kingdom, with a background in perioperative nursing. She is passionate about excellence in leadership and is committed to advancing IPC professionals through innovation and collaboration.
Abstract:
Introduction
Surgical site infections (SSIs) following caesarean section (CS) affect up to 9% of Australian patients, creating a clinical and economic burden. Identifying effective, sustainable infection prevention strategies is important. Surgical care bundles have been used successfully in other surgical contexts, but their optimal configuration and long-term efficacy in CS remain unclear. The study aim was to synthesise the evidence on the effectiveness of care bundle components in reducing SSIs following CS and to explore how these practices are sustained in clinical settings.
Methods
An integrative review was conducted using a systematic search across five research databases. Included studies implemented or evaluated surgical care bundles in the context of CS.
Results
Ten studies met the criteria for inclusion. All reported a post-intervention reduction in SSI rates (mean = 1.9%, SD = 1.17). Notably, care bundles comprising four or fewer components were associated with greater reductions in infection rates and higher compliance compared to those with five or more. Studies employing prospective designs, shorter durations, and smaller sample sizes showed more pronounced SSI reductions. Although most studies reported compliance metrics, few provided evidence-based strategies for sustaining care bundle practices over time.
Conclusion
Bundles with fewer, targeted components may be more effective and easier to implement in CS surgery. However, evidence on sustaining these practices remains limited. Further research is needed to identify and evaluate strategies that promote long-term compliance and sustained reductions in SSI rates in CS patients.