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Infection after cholecystectomy, hysterectomy or appendectomy
1Health Statistics Division, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. Michelle.Rotermann@statcan.ca
Health Reports
|September 7, 2004
Summary
Post-operative infection after common surgeries like cholecystectomy, hysterectomy, and appendectomy is rare but costly. Risk factors include older age, male sex, complex surgery, and diabetes, impacting patient outcomes and healthcare expenses.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare analytics
- Surgical outcomes research
- Infection control
Background:
- Post-operative infections (POIs) represent a significant concern in surgical patient care.
- Understanding the incidence and cost of POIs following common procedures is crucial for resource allocation and quality improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze patient-linked data on hospitalizations with post-operative infection after cholecystectomy, hysterectomy, and appendectomy.
- To estimate the average hospital days and readmission costs associated with these infections.
Main Methods:
- Utilized patient-linked data from the Health Person-Oriented Information Database for fiscal years 1997/98 to 1999/00.
- Employed bivariate tabulations to determine POI percentages and logistic regression to identify associated risk factors.
Main Results:
- POIs were infrequent: 1.4% for cholecystectomy, 2.0% for hysterectomy, and 3.8% for appendectomy.
- Annual readmission costs for POIs ranged from $5.4 to $6.3 million.
- Advanced age, male gender, surgical complexity, surgical approach, and diabetes were linked to increased POI risk.
Conclusions:
- While rare, post-operative infections following these common surgeries incur substantial readmission costs.
- Identifying patient and surgical factors associated with POIs can inform targeted prevention strategies and improve patient safety.