Abstract
IntroductionSurgical site infections (SSIs) are among the most common healthcare-associated infections. They are associated with longer post-operative hospital stays, additional surgical procedures, risk of treatment in intensive care units and higher mortality.Material and methodsSSIs were detected in patients hospitalized in a 40-bed orthopaedics ward in 2009–2018. The total number of study patients was 15,678. The results were divided into two 5-year periods before and after the introduction of the SSI prevention plan. The study was conducted as part of a national Healthcare-Associated Infections Surveillance Programme, following the methodology recommended by the HAI-Net, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Program (ECDC).ResultsOne hundred sixty eight SSIs were detected in total, including 163 deep SSIs (SSI-D). The total SSI incidence rate was 1.1%, but in hip prosthesis: 1.2%, in knee prosthesis: 1.3%, for open reduction of fracture (FX): 1.3%, for close reduction of fracture (CR): 1.5, and 0.8% for other procedures. 64% of SSI-D cases required rehospitalisation. A significantly reduction in incidence was found only after fracture reductions: FX and CR, respectively 2.1% vs. 0.7% (OR 3.1 95%CI 1.4–6.6, p < 0.01) and 2.1 vs. 0.8% (OR 2.4 95%CI 1.0–5.9, p < 0.05). SSI-Ds were usually caused by Gram-positive cocci, specially Staphylococcus aureus, 74 (45.7%); Enterobacteriaceae bacillis accounted for 14.1% and Gram-negative non-fermenting rods for 8.5%.ConclusionsThe implemented SSI prevention plan demonstrated a significant decrease from 2.1 to 0.7% in SSI-D incidence only in fracture reductions, without changes in epidemiology SSI incidence rates in other procedures. Depending on the epidemiological situation in the ward, it is worthwhile to surveillance of SSIs associated to different types of orthopaedic surgery to assess the risks of SSI and take preventive measures.
Highlights
Surgical site infections (SSIs) are among the most common healthcare-associated infections
Depending on the epidemiological situation in the ward, it is worthwhile to surveillance of SSIs associated to different types of orthopaedic surgery to assess the risks of SSI and take preventive measures
The first symptoms of SSI-D were generally observed 37 days after surgery, and the majority of SSI-D cases, i.e. One hundred four people (64.2%), required rehospitalisation – the diagnosis of SII-D was made after the patient was discharged from hospital
Summary
Surgical site infections (SSIs) are among the most common healthcare-associated infections. It is substantiated by Allerberger et al [2] who state that, in CEE, as well as publicly available information on epidemiological methods and indicators, are often insufficient This is corroborated by Ider et al [3] in their study of how infection control systems function in the former Soviet bloc. They found weak commitment, lack of resources, poor specialist knowledge and insufficient reporting or publishing of information on HAI epidemiology. The CEE countries exhibit enormous differences with regard to legislation, structural elements and indicators of the methods for infection control and prevention [2]
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