In the obstetrical population, infection is the most frequent complication of a cesarean delivery with 19% of the reported post cesarean infections related to surgical site infection (SSI). To reduce the incidence of postoperative SSI prevention measures recommended by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were targeted at a level III Obstetrical unit that included basic hand washing practices, preoperative hair removal practices, surgical site skin prep, maintaining a sterile surgical field, antibiotic prophylaxis delivery and maintaining normothermia.  

As reported in the literature patients may have peripheral shutdown resulting from anxiety, preoperative starvation and a cold environment that predisposes the patient to wound infections by decreasing blood flow and oxygenation to the surgical site. A study by Ali, Melling and Leaper (2001) concluded that patients who had a minor elective clean surgical procedure had a lower incidence of postoperative wound infection. As a result of the reported study and the obstetrical (OB) staff’s desire to further reduce the infection rate, a similar research study was conducted in the cesarean section (c/s) patient population to identify the need for additional nursing interventions to prevent SSIs.

Following approval by the institutions IRB the OB staff began to enroll 250 C/S patients having clean contaminated surgery into a randomized, blinded trial of presurgical incision warming for the prevention of wound complications in women undergoing non-emergent cesarean section who were able to give consent. Patients were assigned to either the nonwarmed (standard care) group or to the warmed (local) group. The warmed group had a heating pad applied to the incision area 30 minutes before surgery. Follow- up assessments occurred 14-17 days following surgery. Exclusion criteria included women undergoing emergent cesarean section patients not remaining in the area for at least 14 days, history of no prenatal care, and patients who were immunocompromised. The poster will report the literature search,methodolgy, data, and study limitations.