Reducing the Risk of Surgical Site Infections With the Surgical Care Improvement Project

Course overview

An estimated 1 in 25 patients has a hospital-acquired infection on any given day according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC indicates that of 722,000 healthcare-associated infections, there are about 157,500 associated surgical site infections (SSI). An SSI is an infection related to an operative procedure that occurs at or near the incision (incisional or organ/space) within 30 days - or within 90 days if an implant is left in place. Patients with an SSI have longer hospital stays (seven to 11 days) and increased morbidity. Patients with SSI have seven to 11 times greater risk of death as a direct result of the SSI at a rate of 77%. SSIs also contribute significantly to U.S. healthcare expenses, costing an estimated $3.5 billion to $10 billion each year. This module provides perioperative team members with information about preventing SSIs.