Infection control and the future. Continuing and emerging trends.

One might believe that technological advancements, prophylactic antibiotic therapy, and ambulatory surgical trends would have appreciably altered infection statistics. Unfortunately, although economic pressures have shortened inpatient days and stimulated a major shift to outpatient surgical procedures, these changes did little to reduce surgical wound infection rates. Not only are they occurring more often, in more debilitated patients, but they are also becoming increasingly virulent, difficult, and costly to manage. When one considers the effects of surgical wound infection, and the added expense and inconvenience to both patient and hospital, it is logical to assume that OR nurses will take a proactive role in implementing new methods of prevention. The expanded role of the perioperative nurse specialist has helped to improve the quality of intraoperative care. Many positive clinical and technological changes in medical devices and infection control products have helped patient care. Any technological changes in the future must be made on the basis of a rational plan to improve patient care by decreasing surgical wound infection. Changes will occur on the basis of what is in the best long-range interest of the patient. The challenge for today's OR nurse, the medical community, and the health-care industry is to adapt to the needs of a rapidly changing health-care delivery environment. The future holds great promise. The expertise of the OR nurse, as clinician and manager, will be in greater demand as change continues to challenge professionals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)