Surgical site infections (SSI) rates, risk factors and post discharge surveillance (PDS) methods: A narrative review

Abstract

Introduction One of the most challenging outcomes after surgery is site infection, the consequences of which include the cost burden on hospitals, contributions to patient morbidity and readmissions. A shift to shorter hospital stays requires closer monitoring of surgical site infections (SSI) after discharge. This paper reviews post-discharge surveillance (PDS) methods on SSI identification, a comparison of some of these methods, SSI rates during and after hospitalization, and associated risk factors for SSI.

Keywords

• Surgical infection, Surveillance, Risk factors, Review