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About Surgical Site Infections

As you know, the patients who develop surgical site infections require more medical care.

As many as 60% of infected surgical patients are more likely to spend time in an intensive care unit.

Many others can experience an average increased hospital stay of two weeks.

And patients who develop a surgical site infection after hospital discharge are five times more likely to be readmitted to hospital.

Surgical Site Infection Also Increases Mortality Rate

Another dangerous impact of surgical site infections: the chance of patient mortality is doubled.

In a study of patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery, the mortality rate was increased to 22% for patients who developed a deep surgical site infection compared to 0.6% who didn't develop one.

In the United States, more than 20,000 deaths per year are a result of surgical site infections.

Surgical Site Infections Significantly Impact the Canadian Healthcare System

With more patients admitted to the ICU, longer inpatient stays and many readmissions after discharge, surgical site infections put an incredible strain on you and your hospital.

According to a study conducted at a teaching hospital in Ontario, wound infections increase nurse-related hospital costs by as much as 51%.

This means that providing care to surgical site infection patients often requires nurses to work longer hours and perform with limited resources.

Because treatment for a surgical site infection is about $4,000 per patient, there is a tremendous financial impact on Canadian healthcare systems.

In Quebec, for example, it was estimated that preventable surgical site infections cost the healthcare system over $10 million.

Implementing evidence-based practices could reduce surgical site infections by 10%, which would provide a cost savings of $4.4 million per year.

And a 50% reduction would provide $22 million.

What Are Current Recommendations to Prevent Surgical Site Infections?

Follow the link to learn recommended methods to prevent surgical site infections.