Monitoring Surgical Site Infections: Insights from an Italian Teaching Hospital

Area of Science:

• Healthcare epidemiology
• Infectious disease surveillance
• Surgical outcomes research

Background:

• Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) are a major cause of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), increasing patient morbidity and healthcare costs.
• Effective surveillance programs are crucial for SSI detection, monitoring, and prevention.
• Variability in SSI surveillance implementation necessitates data-driven improvements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess Surgical Site Infection (SSI) trends at Ferrara Teaching Hospital.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the SIChER surveillance system.
• To provide data for improving SSI surveillance systems and patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of data from 2020-2023.
• Utilized SIChER surveillance system and Hospital Discharge Cards (HDCs).
• Examined SSI Percentage by Category and Incidence Density of Hospital-Onset SSIs.

Main Results:

• Annual surgical procedures averaged 5,158; SIChER coverage increased to 80.7% by 2023.
• Colon surgery had the highest infection rates; cardiac surgery had no infections.
• Overall incidence density of hospital-onset SSIs was 0.18 per 1,000 follow-up days; HDC accuracy reached 97.2%.

Conclusions:

• SSI surveillance coverage and accuracy have improved, validating the SIChER system.
• Variations in SSI rates across surgical categories indicate a need for targeted prevention strategies.
• High-risk procedures, such as colorectal and orthopaedic surgeries, require focused interventions.