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Surgical Site InfectionOPerAtiCNCT04366440

De-Implementation of Unnecessary Surgical Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Children

A study testing Order set review and modification with facilitation and Order set review and modification in people with Surgical Site Infection, run by Washington University School of Medicine at 10 sites in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The overall objective of this study is to identify the best strategy to eliminate unnecessary antibiotic use after surgery in pediatric surgical procedures considered low-risk for an SSI. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 0 days to 75 years
Conditions the study is for
Surgical Site Infection
What is being tested?
Order set review and modification with facilitation and Order set review and modification
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
18,267 participants
Where
10 sitesUnited States
Study dates
1 Nov 2020to 30 Nov 2024
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 0 days to 75 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Surgeries performed at the Children's Hospitals included in the study and are collected by NSQIP-P.
  • Clean and clean-contaminated surgical procedures within the following specialties that are included in NSQIP-P:
  • General Surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Otolaryngology, Plastic Surgery, Otolaryngology, and Urology

Who cannot join

  • 1. Children undergoing clean or clean-contaminated procedures that are not collected by NSQIP-P data abstractors.

Trial locations and contacts

10 sites in 1 country.

10 sites in 1 country

United States10 sites
  • University of Michigan / CS Mott Children's Hospital

    Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109

  • Harvard Medical School / Boston Children's Hospital

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02115

  • The Ohio State University College of Medicine / Nationwide Children's Hospital

    Columbus, Ohio, 43205

  • Baylor College of Medicine / Texas Children's Hospital

    Houston, Texas, 77030

  • University of Missouri - Kansas City / The Children's Mercy Hospital

    Kansas City, Missouri, 64108

  • Vanderbilt University / Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt

    Nashville, Tennessee, 37232

  • University of Utah / Primary Children's Hospital

    Salt Lake City, Utah, 84108

  • University of Washington / Seattle Children's Hospital

    Seattle, Washington, 98105

  • Washington University in St. Louis / St. Louis Children's Hospital

    St Louis, Missouri, 63110

  • Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine / Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital

    St. Petersburg, Florida, 33701

Other trials in United States

About this study

The overall objective of this study is to identify the best strategy to eliminate unnecessary antibiotic use after surgery in pediatric surgical procedures considered low-risk for an SSI. Based on literature and our preliminary data suggesting surgeons will not fully accept standardized order sets based on current guidelines, the investigators hypothesize that order set modification combined with ASP facilitation will outperform standard order set modification alone in de-implementing unnecessary postoperative antibiotic use.

Read the detailed description

Antibiotics have revolutionized healthcare allowing clinicians the ability to treat life-threatening infections and to prevent infections following life-saving surgery. Unfortunately, antibiotic overuse results in antibiotic resistant bacteria and unnecessary adverse events including Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI). Data demonstrate that antibiotic resistant bacteria and CDI annually kill up to 150,000 and 29,000 Americans, respectively. Surgical antibiotic prophylaxis is a common area for unnecessary antibiotic use among children. Recent CDC surgical site infection (SSI) guidelines and the AAP Choosing Wisely Campaign recommend no postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis for procedures considered low risk for an SSI.

In this study, our team will develop and test two theoretically informed strategies to eliminate ("de-implement") unnecessary postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis through the collaboration of surgeons and antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). One promising strategy is the implementation of standard surgical order sets, which offer relative ease of implementation and a systematic approach across surgical subspecialties. While evidence suggests that order set standardization is a good approach, barriers to implementation are commonly noted, especially the lack of engagement with clinicians affected by change when initiating a new strategy. As such, complementary strategies are needed to extend the impact of order set standardization.

This study will be guided by the i-PARIHS framework (Integrated Framework for Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services), an implementation science framework designed to guide implementation of evidence-based practices. This framework posits that successful implementation of evidence into practice is a function of the quality and type of evidence to be implemented, the characteristics of the context where the evidence will be implemented, and the means by which it is integrated or facilitated into practice. Four primary constructs comprise the i-PARIHS framework: the innovation, recipients, context, and facilitation. Innovation describes the evidence and knowledge regarding a particular issue, as well as the qualities of the evidence that may influence how it is perceived by the potential user, recognizing that evidence may or may not be valuable to the end user based on local circumstances and priorities. Recipients are actors involved in implementation who may be affected by and influence the implementation of evidence. Context characterizes the circumstances in which knowledge and innovation uptake occurs, consisting of multiple factors at the micro, meso, and macro levels. Finally, integral to this framework is facilitation as the active mechanism by which uptake and implementation of evidence occurs, making it an ideal and appropriate fit for this study.

All research activities for this study will be conducted in 9 children's hospitals that participate in both the SHARPS Collaborative and NSQIP-P. Our participating hospitals are geographically dispersed and (like most children's hospitals) are located in urban settings. SHARPS Collaborative hospitals feature active ASPs operated by dedicated pharmacists and physician leaders. Clinicians (MD/DO or PharmD) overseeing ASPs and surgical champions in participating hospitals will implement the proposed strategies and collect implementation outcomes that quantify the extent to which the test strategies are successfully deployed in the hospital. The daily work of these individuals to improve antibiotic use includes frequent interaction with surgical specialties that perform clean and clean-contaminated surgeries. Implementing our proposed strategies via established ASP clinicians and a surgical leader (rather than, for example, directly by a member of the research team) will leverage existing relationships between these clinicians and their associated surgical teams, creating a more realistic circumstance under which new ASP strategies are implemented. This approach will provide better insight into the feasibility of implementing these strategies in a sustainable way in the future. In addition to being SHARPS Collaborative hospitals, our participating hospitals will also be NSQIP-P hospitals, each with a full-time, trained dedicated data abstractor collecting data on surgeries and surgical outcomes.

The investigators will compare the efficacy of the two strategies designed to reduce unnecessary postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis, using a cross-sectional stepped-wedge design. The investigators have identified 9 Children's Hospitals from across the US to participate in the study. Each of the 9 hospitals will be randomized into one of 3 clusters (cluster size = 3). All hospitals will begin with the control intervention-implementation of order set review and modification-at time 0. Each Step will last 6 months. Prior to the beginning of Step 1, Cluster 1 hospitals will receive the experimental intervention -order set review and modification plus facilitation. Just prior to steps 1, 2 and 3, the ASP teams will receive a 2-day in-person workshop led by the implementation scientist (Co-I Dr. McKay) and PI Dr. Newland, covering the specific facilitation strategies to be utilized. Every 6 months, an additional cluster will initiate the experimental condition (Steps 2 and 3). The amount of time each cluster will receive the experimental condition will be 30 months (Cluster 1), 24 months (Cluster 2), and 18 months (Cluster 3). Monthly study webinars will occur with all sites in step 0. During steps 1 and 2, sites in the experimental arm will have a monthly webinar separate from the group still in the control arm. By step 3 all sites will be a part of the same monthly webinar.

Being tested
Order set review and modification with facilitation, Order set review and modification
Keywords
children, antimicrobial stewardship, post-operative antibiotic prophylaxis, Deimplementation
Medical subject headings
Surgical Wound Infection

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Order set review and modification with facilitationBehavioural

    The antimicrobial stewardship program will receive facilitation training to aid in reviewing and changing order sets of clean or clean-contaminated procedures to eliminate unnecessary post-operative antibiotics.

  • Order set review and modificationOther

    The antimicrobial stewardship program will work to eliminate unnecessary post-operative antibiotics by reviewing and changing order sets of clean or clean-contaminated procedures.

Study groups in NCT04366440
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Order set review and modificationOtherThe antimicrobial stewardship program will review and change order sets of clean or clean-contaminated procedures to eliminate unnecessary post-operative antibiotics.
Receives: Other: Order set review and modification
Order Set review and Modification plus facilitationOtherThe antimicrobial stewardship program will receive facilitation training to aid in reviewing and changing order sets of clean or clean-contaminated procedures to eliminate unnecessary post-operative antibiotics.
Receives: Behavioral: Order set review and modification with facilitation

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Percentage of Clean and Clean-contaminated Cases in Children Receiving Post-operative Antibiotic Prophylaxis.

    Clean and clean-contaminated surgical cases in children were assessed for whether they received post operative prophylaxis utilizing the Pediatric National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP) database. A percentage was determined with the numerator being total number of clean and clean-contaminated cases receiving post operative surgical prophylaxis and the denominator is the total number of clean and clean-contaminated cases. The percentage of cases reflect the percentage of participants who received post operative surgical prophylaxis

    Measured: 3 years

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Rate of Surgical Site Infections (SSI) in Clean and Clean-contaminated Cases

    Among the captured clean and clean-contaminated cases utilized in the primary outcome, the SSI rate per 100 cases was determined in patients both receiving and not receiving post-operative antibiotic prophylaxis.

    Measured: 3 years

  2. Rate of Clostridioides Difficile Infections (CDI) in Clean and Clean-contaminated Cases

    Among the captured clean and clean-contaminated cases utilized in the primary outcome, the CDI rate per 100 cases was determined in patients both receiving and not receiving post-operative antibiotic prophylaxis

    Measured: 3 years

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted28 Apr 2020
  2. Study start1 Nov 2020
  3. Primary completion1 Feb 2024
  4. Study completion30 Nov 2024

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Sequential
Model description
A stepped-wedge study design will be utilized. All sites will begin in the control intervention, order set review and modification. Sequentially, clusters of 3 hospitals will begin in the experimental intervention, order set review and modification plus facilitation.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
18,267 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04366440
Sponsor's protocol ID
201912100
Other IDs
1R01HS026742-01A1
Acronym
OPerAtiC
Status last verified
Jun 2026
First submitted
24 Apr 2020
Last updated
9 Jul 2026
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Logan LK, Renschler JP, Gandra S, Weinstein RA, Laxminarayan R; Centers for Disease Control; Prevention Epicenters Program. Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Children, United States, 1999-2012. Emerg Infect Dis. 2015 Nov;21(11):2014-21. doi: 10.3201/eid2111.150548.

    PubMed 26486124
  • Logan LK, Braykov NP, Weinstein RA, Laxminarayan R; CDC Epicenters Prevention Program. Extended-Spectrum beta-Lactamase-Producing and Third-Generation Cephalosporin-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Children: Trends in the United States, 1999-2011. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2014 Dec;3(4):320-8. doi: 10.1093/jpids/piu010. Epub 2014 Mar 19.

    PubMed 26625452
  • Logan LK, Gandra S, Mandal S, Klein EY, Levinson J, Weinstein RA, Laxminarayan R; Prevention Epicenters Program, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Multidrug- and Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Children, United States, 1999-2012. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2017 Nov 24;6(4):352-359. doi: 10.1093/jpids/piw064.

    PubMed 27856730
  • Herigon JC, Hersh AL, Gerber JS, Zaoutis TE, Newland JG. Antibiotic management of Staphylococcus aureus infections in US children's hospitals, 1999-2008. Pediatrics. 2010 Jun;125(6):e1294-300. doi: 10.1542/peds.2009-2867. Epub 2010 May 17.

    PubMed 20478934
  • Berrios-Torres SI, Umscheid CA, Bratzler DW, Leas B, Stone EC, Kelz RR, Reinke CE, Morgan S, Solomkin JS, Mazuski JE, Dellinger EP, Itani KMF, Berbari EF, Segreti J, Parvizi J, Blanchard J, Allen G, Kluytmans JAJW, Donlan R, Schecter WP; Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guideline for the Prevention of Surgical Site Infection, 2017. JAMA Surg. 2017 Aug 1;152(8):784-791. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2017.0904.

    PubMed 28467526
  • Sandora TJ, Fung M, Melvin P, Graham DA, Rangel SJ. National Variability and Appropriateness of Surgical Antibiotic Prophylaxis in US Children's Hospitals. JAMA Pediatr. 2016 Jun 1;170(6):570-6. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2016.0019.

    PubMed 27088649
  • Harvey G, Kitson A. PARIHS revisited: from heuristic to integrated framework for the successful implementation of knowledge into practice. Implement Sci. 2016 Mar 10;11:33. doi: 10.1186/s13012-016-0398-2.

    PubMed 27013464
  • Kitson AL, Rycroft-Malone J, Harvey G, McCormack B, Seers K, Titchen A. Evaluating the successful implementation of evidence into practice using the PARiHS framework: theoretical and practical challenges. Implement Sci. 2008 Jan 7;3:1. doi: 10.1186/1748-5908-3-1.

    PubMed 18179688
  • Burnham JP, Olsen MA, Kollef MH. Re-estimating annual deaths due to multidrug-resistant organism infections. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2019 Jan;40(1):112-113. doi: 10.1017/ice.2018.304. Epub 2018 Nov 22. No abstract available.

    PubMed 30463634
  • Rycroft-Malone J, Seers K, Chandler J, Hawkes CA, Crichton N, Allen C, Bullock I, Strunin L. The role of evidence, context, and facilitation in an implementation trial: implications for the development of the PARIHS framework. Implement Sci. 2013 Mar 9;8:28. doi: 10.1186/1748-5908-8-28.

    PubMed 23497438
  • Helfrich CD, Damschroder LJ, Hagedorn HJ, Daggett GS, Sahay A, Ritchie M, Damush T, Guihan M, Ullrich PM, Stetler CB. A critical synthesis of literature on the promoting action on research implementation in health services (PARIHS) framework. Implement Sci. 2010 Oct 25;5:82. doi: 10.1186/1748-5908-5-82.

    PubMed 20973988
  • Liu J, Colditz GA. Optimal design of longitudinal data analysis using generalized estimating equation models. Biom J. 2017 Mar;59(2):315-330. doi: 10.1002/bimj.201600107. Epub 2016 Nov 23.

    PubMed 27878852
  • Liu J, Colditz GA. Relative efficiency of unequal versus equal cluster sizes in cluster randomized trials using generalized estimating equation models. Biom J. 2018 May;60(3):616-638. doi: 10.1002/bimj.201600262. Epub 2018 Mar 25.

    PubMed 29577363
  • McKay V, Malone S, Tetteh E, Saito J, Rangel S, Bono K, Tao J, Liu J, Obeng H, Atkinson A, Newland JG. Facilitation as an effective strategy to reduce excessive antibiotic prophylaxis in Children's hospitals: A stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial. Implement Sci. 2025 Oct 21;20(1):45. doi: 10.1186/s13012-025-01455-2.

    PubMed 41121325
  • McKay V, Malone S, Tetteh E, Saito J, Rangel S, Bono K, Tao J, Liu J, Obeng H, Atkinson A, Newland J. Facilitation as an effective strategy to reduce excessive antibiotic prophylaxis in Children's hospitals: A stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial. Res Sq [Preprint]. 2025 May 30:rs.3.rs-6579066. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6579066/v1.

    PubMed 40502788

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Order set review and modification with facilitation and Order set review and modification in people with Surgical Site Infection, run by Washington University School of Medicine at 10 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 10 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 9 Jul 2026). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Percentage of Clean and Clean-contaminated Cases in Children Receiving Post-operative Antibiotic Prophylaxis. (time frame: 3 years). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04366440, which also lists 17 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 9 Jul 2026.

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