About Surgical Site Infections

Despite increased awareness, and the efforts of hospital and infection control staff to follow Safer Healthcare Now guidelines, the incidence of surgical site infections is still high—even in a healthcare system focused on increased patient safety and reducing costs and inefficiencies.

In a 2002 survey of 6,745 patients in Canadian acute-care hospitals across nine provinces, surgical site infections accounted for 21% of five types of nosocomial infections.

And the incidence rate may be as high as 30% depending on the surgical procedure, the surveillance criteria used and the quality of the data collection.

Effects of Surgical Site Infections on Patients

Surgical site infections significantly impact patients, and can undo successful surgical work:

Wound-healing can be impaired when bacteria causing the infection compete with the patient for oxygen and nutrients.
The infection can prolong the inflammatory phase of healing.
Tissue destruction is increased by the infection.

If a surgical site infection develops after surgery, the patient could be readmitted to receive surgery to repair the resulting damage.

But there's a more critical result of surgical site infections..

Surgical Site Infections Increase the Patient Mortality Rate

If a patient develops a surgical site infection, their chances of dying are doubled.

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

In the United States, more than 20,000 deaths per year occur due to surgical site infections.

Patients With Surgical Site Infections Require More Medical Care

Patients who develop a surgical site infection also require more medical care compared to uninfected surgical patients:

60% are more likely to spend time in the intensive care unit after surgery.
The average length of their hospital stay is increased by two weeks.
The 2% of patients who develop a surgical site infection after discharge are five times more likely to be readmitted to hospital.

Surgical Site Infections Increase Costs to the Canadian Healthcare System

A retrospective incidence series study conducted in 1998 at a teaching hospital in Ontario identified that:

Wound infections increase hospital-related nursing costs by as much as 51%
Inpatient hospital costs related to wounds can be as much as $3,937 per infection.

In Quebec, it was estimated that for 2005, the cost to treat patients who develop preventable surgical site infections was over $10 million.

By applying the Quebec model to Alberta data, 3% of the 81,000 surgeries performed would result in infections.

With the implementation of evidence-based practices, a 10% reduction would result in savings of $4.4 million.

And a 50% reduction would result in a cost savings of $22 million.

What Are the Current Recommended Methods to Prevent Surgical Site Infections?

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