SSI: Surgical Site Infections

Why We Want to Prevent SSI

Surgical site infections are the most common healthcare-associated infection. They occur after surgery and can involve only the skin or can be more serious and include skin or organs.

SSIs occur in 2 to 5 percent of the 30 million people who undergo surgery every year and account for around 20 percent of healthcare-associated infections. Patients with SSIs are five times more likely to be readmitted to the hospital, 60 percent more likely to be admitted to the ICU, have mortality rates twice that of the average hospitalized patient and have lengths of stays seven days longer on average. Studies found that SSI is associated with nearly 1 million additional inpatient days and $1.6 billion in excess costs.