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A surgical site
infection is an infection that occurs after surgery in
the part of the body where the surgery took place. Most
patients who have surgery do not develop an infection.
However, infections develop in about 1 to 3 of every 100
patients who have surgery. About 27 million surgical
procedures are performed each year in the United States.
A CDC estimate from 2001 suggests that approximately
290,000 surgical site infections occur every year.
Approximately 8,000 patient deaths are associated with
these infections
An infection is
considered to be an SSI when it occurs at the site of
surgery within 30 days of an operation or within 1 year
of an operation if a foreign body (e.g., an artificial
heart valve or joint) is implanted as part of the
surgery. Most SSIs (about 70%) are superficial
infections involving the skin only. The remaining
infections are more serious and can involve tissues
under the skin, organs, or implanted material. The
majority of SSIs do not become life-threatening.
The key factors in
the prevention of the SSIs are the proper surgical
techniques performed by the surgical staff, as well as
the general health condition of the patient.
Best Practice tool provides the guidelines to reduce
SSIs following the recommendations developed by CDC/
HICPAC. |
