Surgical Site Infection Research Opportunities

Area of Science:

• Infectious Disease
• Surgical Outcomes
• Public Health

Background:

• Surgical site infections (SSI) remain a significant concern in healthcare.
• Existing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines identify several key areas for SSI prevention.
• However, evidence gaps persist in critical areas impacting SSI rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and prioritize research areas for SSI prevention beyond current recommendations.
• To address evidence gaps in the development of effective SSI prevention strategies.
• To refine the focus of future research in surgical infection control.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi process involving seven subject matter experts was employed.
• Experts reviewed existing CDC recommendations and identified additional areas for SSI prevention research.
• Research questions were formulated for each identified topic, with a final selection of ten key questions.

Main Results:

• Six initial evidence gaps were identified by the CDC, including parenteral antimicrobial prophylaxis and glycemic control.
• Seven additional areas were proposed by experts: nutritional status, smoking, obesity, surgical technique, and anemia.
• Further topics identified included Staphylococcus aureus colonization and SSI definition/surveillance.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights critical, under-researched areas crucial for advancing SSI prevention strategies.
• Further investigation into factors like nutritional status, smoking, and surgical technique is warranted.
• Establishing standardized definitions and surveillance methods for SSI is essential for accurate tracking and prevention.