Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35766252›Full record

SynthesisThe British journal of surgery2022

Perioperative care bundles for the prevention of surgical-site infections: meta-analysis.

Niels Wolfhagen, Quirine J J Boldingh, Marja A Boermeester, Stijn W de Jonge

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The British journal of surgery, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
31citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
10.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

31 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 59 citations in OpenAlex.

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  14. Winning the Global Surgery War: A Conceptual Framework.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2025
    Article
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  17. Variable use of modern abdominal wall closure techniques at emergency laparotomy - an international, cross-sectional survey of surgical practice.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2025
    Article
  18. Observational
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Niels WolfhagenAmsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Surgery, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-0573-5703
Quirine J J BoldinghAmsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Surgery, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Marja A BoermeesterAmsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Surgery, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Stijn W de JongeAmsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Surgery, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Amsterdam University Medical Centers · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCare bundles are used widely to prevent surgical-site infections (SSIs). Recent systematic reviews suggested larger effects from bundles with more interventions. These reviews were largely based on uncontrolled before-after studies and did not consider their biases. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the effectiveness of care bundles to prevent SSIs and explore characteristics of effective care bundles.

methodsA systematic review, reanalysis, and meta-analysis of available evidence were undertaken. RCTs, controlled before-after studies, and uncontrolled before-after studies with sufficient data for reanalysis as interrupted time series studies (ITS) were eligible. Studies investigating the use of a care bundle, with at least one intraoperative intervention, compared with standard care were included.

resultsFour RCTs, 1 controlled before-after study, and 13 ITS were included. Pooled data from RCTs were heterogeneous. Meta-analysis of ITS resulted in a level change of -1.16 (95 per cent c.i.-1.78 to -0.53), indicating a reduction in SSI. The effect was larger when the care bundle comprised a higher proportion of evidence-based interventions. Meta-regression analyses did not show statistically significant associations between effect estimates and number of interventions, number of evidence-based interventions, or proportion of evidence-based interventions.

conclusionMeta-analysis of ITS indicated that perioperative care bundles prevent SSI. This effect is inconsistent across RCTs. Larger bundles were not associated with a larger effect, but the effect may be larger if the care bundle contains a high proportion of evidence-based interventions. No strong evidence for characteristics of effective care bundles was identified.

Indexed as

Patient Care BundlesSurgical Wound InfectionHumansPerioperative Care

Identifiers

PMID35766252
PMCPMC10364698
OpenAlexW4283711652

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.