What are Surgical Site Infections?
A Surgical Site Infection (SSI) is an infection in the area where surgery was done. Most SSIs involve the skin, but sometimes deep tissue or organs can become infected.
Why is this important?
Surgical site infections (SSIs) that occur after surgery can equate to longer hospital stays, difficult recovery and increased treatment costs.
How are we doing at preventing surgical site infections?
Surgical wound infections can be prevented. Medical research has shown that certain antibiotics work better to prevent wound infections for certain types of surgery. Hospital staff should make sure patients get the antibiotic that works best for their type of surgery.
This graph demonstrates the number of eligible patients who received the best antibiotics prior to surgery. Higher percentages are better. Top performing hospitals achieve 100%.
What efforts are in place to improve performance?
The peri-operative team reviews all cases as to antibiotic selection, assesses opportunities and moves to improve processes.