Surgical site infection in a tertiary hospital. A prospective surveillance study (2001–2004)

Abstract Introduction Surgical site infection (SSI) is a very common problem in hospital infection control. It represents a risk for the safety of the patient and therefore its reduction is a priority in Health Services. The aim of the study is to analyse the incidence of SSI in the surgical departm...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cirugia española (English ed.) 2010, Vol.88 (5), p.319-327
Main Authors: Llanos Méndez, Aurora, Molina, Carmen Díaz, Fernández-Crehuet Navajas, Rafael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Control de la infección
Cross-infection
Infección cruzada
Infección quirúrgica
Infection control
Surgery
Surgical site infection
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Summary:Abstract Introduction Surgical site infection (SSI) is a very common problem in hospital infection control. It represents a risk for the safety of the patient and therefore its reduction is a priority in Health Services. The aim of the study is to analyse the incidence of SSI in the surgical departments of a tertiary hospital. Material and methods A prospective cohort study was conducted on 14,455 patients admitted from January 2001 to December 2004. The cumulative incidence (CI) crude and adjusted for the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance (NNIS) index and the incidence density (ID) of SSI were calculated. Results The CI of patients with SSI was 3.4% (95% CI: 3.0%–3.7%), the CI of SSI was 3.5% and the observed ID was 0.28/100 surgical patients/day. Surgical units with the highest CI were maxillofacial (6%), gastrointestinal (5.3%) and cardiovascular (5.1%). Adjusting for length of stay, urology and paediatric surgery recorded the highest incidence rates, while ophthalmology and neurosurgery had the least. Colorectal surgery had the highest parameters (CI=10%; ID=0.57), followed by myocardial revascularisation and hip prosthesis. Among the surgical units and operative procedures assessed, the CI of SSI increased with the NNIS index. Conclusions The CI and ID of SSI observed in this study were similar to those obtained in previous European surveillance projects, and lower than those recorded in our hospital in 1994 which reflects a higher level of vigilance and a higher awareness in applying control measures.
ISSN:2173-5077
2173-5077
DOI:10.1016/S2173-5077(10)70038-7