Surgical Site Infections

Abstract

Surgical site infections are caused by bacteria that get in through incisions made during surgery. They threaten the lives of millions of patients each year and contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance. Surgical site infection (SSI) rates are used extensively by hospitals as a basis for quality improvement. A 30-day postdischarge SSI as per CDC definitions of SSI should be consider in order to have a valid data inside the hospital Surgical site infections are not just a problem for poor countries. In the United States, they contribute to patients spending more than 400 000 extra days in hospital at a cost of an additional US$ 10 billion per year., An SSI develops in 2% to 5% of patients undergoing surgical procedures each year in the United States which mean 500,000 and 750,000 SSIs occur annually, Institute of Healthcare Improvement has estimated that 40-60% of all SSIs are preventable. Mean attributable costs for SSI were $25,546 in a recent analysis of published studies on SSI costs, however, among the many measures to prevent SSI, only some are based on strong evidence we need to provide best practice recommendations for SSI management and prevention in hospitals and community care.