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Qualitative outcomes of Clean Cut: implementation lessons from reducing surgical infections in Ethiopia

The findings of this study highlight the importance of engaging hospital leadership, providers and staff in quality improvement programs, and understanding their work contexts. The identified barriers and Facilitators will inform future initiatives in the field of perioperative infection prevention. Authors: Aviva S. Mattingly, Nichole Starr, Senait Bitew, Jared A. Forrester, Tihitena Negussie, Sylvia Bereknyei […]

Minimum Specifications for a Lifebox Surgical Headlight for Resource-Constrained Settings

Safe surgery requires reliable, high-quality lighting. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), electricity outages are disruptive, dangerous, and ubiquitous. Inadequate surgical lighting due to inconsistent or poor illumination results in delays and cancellations of surgery, as well as patient harm. In LMICs, surgical headlights are unaffordable, lack in-country suppliers, and are unsuitably designed for austere […]

Performance of a novel reusable pediatric pulse oximeter probe

This study found that the novel reusable pediatric Lifebox probe can achieve a quality SpO2 measurement within a pragmatic time range of weight‐appropriate Masimo equivalent probes. Authors: Carina King PhD, Tisungane Mvalo MD, Kristen Sessions BSc, Iain Wilson MB ChB, Isabeau Walker MD, Beatiwel Zadutsa Dip, Charles Makwenda MSc, Tambosi Phiri MSc, Nicholas Boyd MSc, […]

Opportunities and barriers in pediatric pulse oximetry for pneumonia in low-resource clinical settings: a qualitative evaluation from Malawi and Bangladesh

This study found that pulse oximetry was generally deemed valuable by health care providers (HCPs) for use as a spot-check device in a range of pediatric low-income clinical settings. Areas highlighted a challenges by HCPs, and therefore opportunities for redesign, included battery charging and durability, probe fit and sensitivity in pediatric populations. Authors: Carina King, […]

Usability Testing of a Reusable Pulse Oximeter Probe Developed for Health-Care Workers Caring for Children < 5 Years Old in Low-Resource Settings

This study presents the summative usability testing process of our human-centered design (HCD) approach. The objective was to evaluate the usability of the probe by end-users and experts across a range of settings and children against an aspirational target product profile (TPP) goal of 95% of readings achieved within 1 minute. Authors: Nicholas Boyd, Carina […]

Developing Process Maps as a Tool for a Surgical Infection Prevention Quality Improvement Initiative in Resource-Constrained Settings

In this study, enumerating the steps involved in surgical infection prevention using a process mapping technique helped identify opportunities for improving adherence and plotting contextually relevant solutions, resulting in superior compliance with antiseptic standards. Simplifying these process maps into an adaptable tool could be a powerful strategy for improving safe surgery delivery in low- and […]

Development of a Surgical Infection Surveillance Program at a Tertiary Hospital in Ethiopia: Lessons Learned from Two Surveillance Strategies

This study shows that patient loss to follow-up and poor documentation of infections underestimated overall infectious complications. Direct, prospective follow-up is possible but requires increased time, clinical skill, and training. For accurate surgical infection surveillance, direct follow-up of patients during hospitalization is essential, because chart review does not accurately reflect post-operative complications. Authors: Jared A. […]

Surgical Instrument Reprocessing in Resource-Constrained Countries: A Scoping Review of Existing Methods, Policies, and Barriers

This study indicates that large gaps exist between instrument reprocessing practices in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and recommended policies/ procedures. Identified areas for improvement include instrument cleaning and decontamination, sterilization aspects of instrument reprocessing, and verification of sterilization. Education and training of staff responsible for reprocessing instruments and realistic, defined policies and procedures are […]

Impact of Surgical Lighting on Intraoperative Safety in Low-Resource Settings: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Surgical Providers

This study features a survey of surgeons working in low-resource settings, in which a majority report poor surgical lighting as a major risk to patient safety and nearly one-third report delayed or cancelled operations due to poor lighting. Developing and distributing robust, affordable, high-quality surgical headlights could provide an ideal solution to this significant surgical […]

CLEAN-CS: An Overview

CheckList Expansion for Antisepsis and iNfection Control in Cesarean Section – CLEAN-CS: Surgical Site infection (SSI) is a common and devastating complication of surgery, and infection rates are particularly high in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Cesarean section (CS) is the most commonly performed major operation in the world and patients are at risk from complications, including SSI. Lifebox’s […]