Surgical Care
When you need surgery, you want assurance that you will be receiving the best possible care. One way to assess that is to confirm that you are getting all of the recommended care for your condition - that is, care that is scientifically proven to be associated with good results. The information below tells you how closely WakeMed has been following recommended guidelines for surgical care.
Preventive Antibiotic Within One Hour - Outpatient
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Surgical wound infections can be prevented. Medical research shows that outpatients who get antibiotics within the hour before their surgery are less likely to get wound infections. Getting an antibiotic earlier, or
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Raleigh Campus - 98.4%
Cary Hospital - 99.6%
Top 10% of All Hospitals - 100%
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| after surgery begins, is not as effective. Hospital staff should make sure surgery outpatients get antibiotics at the right time. |
Appropriate Preventive Antibiotic - Outpatient
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Surgical wound infections can be prevented. Medical research has shown that certain antibiotics work better to prevent wound infections for certain types of surgery. Hospital staff should make sure outpatients get the
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Raleigh Campus - 99.1%
Cary Hospital - 98.8%
Top 10% of All Hospitals - 100%
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| antibiotic that works best for their type of surgery. |
Preventive Antibiotic Within One Hour
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Surgical wound infections can be prevented. Medical research shows that surgery patients who get antibiotics within the hour before their surgery are less likely to get wound infections. Getting an antibiotic earlier,
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Raleigh Campus - 99.7%
Cary Hospital - 99.8%
Top 10% of All Hospitals - 100%
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| or after surgery begins, is not as effective. Hospital staff should make sure surgery patients get antibiotics at the right time. |
Appropriate Preventive Antibiotic
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Surgical wound infections can be prevented. Medical research has shown that certain antibiotics work better to prevent wound infections for certain types of surgery. Hospital staff should make sure patients get the
|
Raleigh Campus - 99%
Cary Hospital - 99.6%
Top 10% of All Hospitals - 100%
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| antibiotic that works best for their type of surgery. |
Preventive Antibiotic Stopped Within 24 Hours
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Antibiotics are often given to patients before surgery to prevent infection. Taking these antibiotics for more than 24 hours after routine surgery is usually not necessary. Continuing the medication longer than necessary can
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Raleigh Campus - 98.7%
Cary Hospital - 99.4%
Top 10% of All Hospitals - 100%
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| increase the risk of side effects such as stomach aches and serious types of diarrhea. Also, when antibiotics are used for too long, patients can develop resistance to them and the antibiotics won't work as well. |
Cardiac Surgery Patients with Controlled Blood Glucose After Surgery
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Even if heart surgery patients do not have diabetes, keeping their blood sugar under good control after surgery lowers the risk of infection and other problems. "Under good control" means their blood sugar should be
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Raleigh Campus - 97.5%
Cary Hospital - N/A
Top 10% of All Hospitals - 99%
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| 200 mg/dL or less when checked first thing in the morning. |
Surgery Patients with Appropriate or No Hair Removal on Surgical Site
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Preparing a patient for surgery may include removing body hair from skin in the area where the surgery will be done. Medical research has shown that shaving with a razor can increase the risk of infection. It is safer to use
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Raleigh Campus - 100%
Cary Hospital - 100%
Top 10% of All Hospitals - 100%
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| electric clippers or hair removal cream. |
Surgery Patients with an Order for Treatment to Prevent Blood Clots
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Certain surgeries increase the risk that the patient will develop a blood clot (venous thromboembolism). When patients stay still for a long time after some types of surgery, they are more likely to develop a blood clot in
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Raleigh Campus - 98.7%
Cary Hospital - 99.7%
Top 10% of All Hospitals - 100%
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| the veins of the legs, thighs, or pelvis. A blood clot slows down the flow of blood, causing swelling, redness, and pain. A blood clot can also break off and travel to other parts of the body. If the blood clot gets into the lung, it is a serious problem that can cause death.
To help prevent blood clots from forming after surgery, doctors can order treatments to be used just before or after the surgery. These include blood-thinning medications, elastic support stockings, or mechanical air stockings that help with blood flow in the legs.
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Surgery Patients Who Received Treatment at the Right Time
to Prevent Blood Clots
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Many factors influence a surgery patient's risk of developing a blood clot, including the type of surgery. When patients stay still for a long time after some types of surgery, they are more likely to develop a blood clot in
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Raleigh Campus - 98.6%
Cary Hospital - 99.5%
Top 10% of All Hospitals - 100%
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| the veins of the legs, thighs, or pelvis. A blood clot slows down the flow of blood, causing swelling, redness, and pain. A blood clot can also break off and travel to other parts of the body. If the blood clot gets into the lung, it is a serious problem that can sometimes cause death.
Treatments to help prevent blood clots from forming after surgery include blood-thinning medications, elastic support stockings, or mechanical air stockings that help with blood flow in the legs. These treatments need to be started at the right time, which is typically within 24 hours of surgery.
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Percent of Patients Already on a Beta Blocker Kept
on a Beta Blocker Before or After Surgery
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It is often standard procedure to stop patients' usual medications for awhile before and after their surgery. But if patients who have been taking beta blockers suddenly stop taking them, they can have heart problems such as
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Raleigh Campus - 99.3%
Cary Hospital - 100%
Top 10% of All Hospitals - 100%
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| a fast heart beat. For these patients, staying on beta blockers before and after surgery makes it less likely that they will have heart problems. |
Urinary Catheter Removal
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Sometimes surgical patients need to have a urinary catheter, or thin tube, inserted into their bladder to help drain the urine. Catheters are usually attached to a bag that collects the urine. Surgery patients can develop
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Raleigh Campus - 98.6%
Cary Hospital - 100%
Top 10% of All Hospitals - 100%
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| infections when urinary catheters are left in place too long after surgery. Infections are dangerous for patients, cause longer hospital stays, and increase costs. Research shows that most surgery patients should have their urinary catheters removed within two days after surgery to help prevent infection. |
Data represents a rolling year October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012
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