SSIs - analysis of self-report data and economic impact.

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a major health and economic problem. Increased morbidity, prolonged hospital stay and the need for additional treatments increase the financial costs of healthcare institutions. The aim of this article is to analyze the incidence of SSIs, their impact on hospital length of stay and economic burden under Czech conditions.

Methods: We analyzed hospitalizations in the period from 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2024 that were classified as SSI according to the CZ-DRG. A total of 2,134 hospitalizations were included, of which 212 (9.93%) were complicated by SSI. We recorded the length of hospital stay, number of reoperations and their duration.

Results: SSI hospitalizations accounted for 9.93% of all cases but 25.3% of hospital days. The economic impact of SSIs was expressed as a case-mix of 24.07%. SSI cases required 19.66% of all operations and 16.43% of total operating time.

Conclusion: It is evident from the findings of this study that SSIs are not only a medical problem, but also an economic one. The economic analysis conducted in this study demonstrates that, even with higher reimbursement for SSI cases, this reimbursement does not cover the additional costs associated with prolonged hospitalization and the necessity for reoperations.