Here are 10 fact and figures about surgical site infections, according to the Surgical Site Infection Toolkit created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
1. In the U.S., there are approximately 300,000 surgical site infections per year. This makes up approximately 17 percent of all healthcare-associated infections.
2. Patients who incur a surgical site infection have a 2-11 times higher risk of death.
3. The cost of treating surgical site infections is approximately $3,000-$29,000 per infection, depending on the type of procedure and pathogen.
4. Surgical site infections cost up to $10 billion annually.
5. The top three organisms causing surgical site infections are as follows:
7. Endogenous pathogen sources include patient flora (skin, mucous membranes, GI tract) and seeding from a distant focus of infection.
8. Exogenous pathogen sources include surgical personnel, OR environment and tools/equipment/materials in the operative field.
9. One of the challenges in preventing surgical site infections is an increasing trend toward resistant organisms undermining the effectiveness of existing recommendations for antimicrobial prophylaxis.
10. Excessive OR traffic is another risk factor for surgical site infections.
Read the Surgical Site Infection Toolkit created by the CDC (pdf).
Read other coverage about surgical site infections:
- 10 Patient Safety Tips for Hospitals and Other Providers
- Top 10 Patient Safety Issues for 2011
- NQF Holds Stance on Recommended Practice for Surgical Site Infections
1. In the U.S., there are approximately 300,000 surgical site infections per year. This makes up approximately 17 percent of all healthcare-associated infections.
2. Patients who incur a surgical site infection have a 2-11 times higher risk of death.
3. The cost of treating surgical site infections is approximately $3,000-$29,000 per infection, depending on the type of procedure and pathogen.
4. Surgical site infections cost up to $10 billion annually.
5. The top three organisms causing surgical site infections are as follows:
- Staphylococcus aureus 30.0%
- Coagulase-negative staphylococci 13.7%
- Enterococcus spp. 11.2%
7. Endogenous pathogen sources include patient flora (skin, mucous membranes, GI tract) and seeding from a distant focus of infection.
8. Exogenous pathogen sources include surgical personnel, OR environment and tools/equipment/materials in the operative field.
9. One of the challenges in preventing surgical site infections is an increasing trend toward resistant organisms undermining the effectiveness of existing recommendations for antimicrobial prophylaxis.
10. Excessive OR traffic is another risk factor for surgical site infections.
Read the Surgical Site Infection Toolkit created by the CDC (pdf).
Read other coverage about surgical site infections:
- 10 Patient Safety Tips for Hospitals and Other Providers
- Top 10 Patient Safety Issues for 2011
- NQF Holds Stance on Recommended Practice for Surgical Site Infections
