Surgical Site Infection Prevention Treatment

Introduction

Surgical site infection (SSI) refers to wound infections following invasive procedures. An SSI may be classified as superficial incisional (skin and subcutaneous tissue), deep incisional (deep soft tissue and muscle), or organ/space (organ or space manipulated during surgery) (WHO 2018). SSI surveillance aims to facilitate a reduction in SSIs through identifying infection rates, benchmarking, triggering clinical review and instituting infection control measures.

Rates of surgical site infection can vary across specialities as well as being impacted by host specific comorbidities, endogenous and exogenous factors. Surgical site infections currently account for 14.5% of healthcare-associated infections (Health Innovation West of England, 2023), with an estimated 60% of SSI’s being preventable (Collins, 2019).

Healthcare acquired infections are recognised as being associated with significant morbidity and mortality. They may result in extended hospital stay, and sometimes prolonged or permanent disability, significantly increasing the cost of care. The impact on the patient is vast, the patient may experience delayed wound healing, anxiety, pain, isolation and loss of earnings.

Surgical site infections are a significant cost burden upon the NHS, each SSI is estimated to cost just over £10,000 per person, with deep incisional SSIs costing £100,000 per patient (GIRFT 2019). According to a “Getting it Right First Time” study conducted in 2019, data collected by NHS resolution between April 2012 and March 2017 identified 383 medical negligence claims related to SSIs in England, which had an estimated cost upon NHS Trusts of £35.2 million. Therefore, it is essential that appropriate action with specific measures is taken and implemented to reduce this cost burden and improve patient outcomes within the NHS.

Policy Details