Reducing Surgical Site Infections in Medical Facility Serving the Underserved Population: Curriculum and Brief Review of the Literature

Abstract

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a preventable cause of increased morbidity and mortality. They comprise approximately 20% of all hospital-associated infections (HAIs) and are the secondmost common type of HAIs in the United States [1]. A previous study showed that SSIs were the most common nosocomial infection in surgical patients and were responsible for 38% of all infections within that category [2]. Surgical site infections lead to prolonged hospital stays, adjunctive procedures, and additive costs [3]. SSI rates are an indicator of the quality of surgical and postoperative care, which calls for the need of increased surveillance systems for these infections.