U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination

Surgical site infection

MedGen UID:
21034
•Concept ID:
C0038941
•
Pathologic Function
Synonyms: Infection, Postoperative Wound; Infection, Surgical Site; Infection, Surgical Wound; Infections, Postoperative Wound; Infections, Surgical Site; Infections, Surgical Wound; Postoperative Wound Infection; Postoperative Wound Infections; Surgical Site Infection; Surgical Site Infections; Surgical Wound Infection; Surgical Wound Infections; Wound Infection, Postoperative; Wound Infection, Surgical; Wound Infections, Postoperative; Wound Infections, Surgical
SNOMED CT: Surgical site infection (433202001); Postoperative wound infection (58126003); Infected surgical wound (58126003)

Definition

Infection of a surgical skin incision. [from NCI]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVSurgical site infection

Professional guidelines

PubMed

ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 199: Use of Prophylactic Antibiotics in Labor and Delivery.
Committee on Practice Bulletins-Obstetrics
Obstet Gynecol 2018 Sep;132(3):e103-e119. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000002833. PMID: 30134425
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guideline for the Prevention of Surgical Site Infection, 2017.
Berríos-Torres SI, Umscheid CA, Bratzler DW, Leas B, Stone EC, Kelz RR, Reinke CE, Morgan S, Solomkin JS, Mazuski JE, Dellinger EP, Itani KMF, Berbari EF, Segreti J, Parvizi J, Blanchard J, Allen G, Kluytmans JAJW, Donlan R, Schecter WP; Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee
JAMA Surg 2017 Aug 1;152(8):784-791. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2017.0904. PMID: 28467526
American College of Surgeons and Surgical Infection Society: Surgical Site Infection Guidelines, 2016 Update.
Ban KA, Minei JP, Laronga C, Harbrecht BG, Jensen EH, Fry DE, Itani KM, Dellinger EP, Ko CY, Duane TM
J Am Coll Surg 2017 Jan;224(1):59-74. Epub 2016 Nov 30 doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2016.10.029. PMID: 27915053

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Antibiotic prophylaxis in orthopedics-traumatology.
Gaudias J
Orthop Traumatol Surg Res 2021 Feb;107(1S):102751. Epub 2020 Dec 11 doi: 10.1016/j.otsr.2020.102751. PMID: 33316449
Perioperative Strategies for Surgical Site Infection Prevention.
Bashaw MA, Keister KJ
AORN J 2019 Jan;109(1):68-78. doi: 10.1002/aorn.12451. PMID: 30592511
Risk factors for surgical site infection following operative treatment of ankle fractures: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Shao J, Zhang H, Yin B, Li J, Zhu Y, Zhang Y
Int J Surg 2018 Aug;56:124-132. Epub 2018 Jun 18 doi: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2018.06.018. PMID: 29929022
Surgical Site Infections and Associated Operative Characteristics.
Waltz PK, Zuckerbraun BS
Surg Infect (Larchmt) 2017 May/Jun;18(4):447-450. Epub 2017 Apr 27 doi: 10.1089/sur.2017.062. PMID: 28448197
Surgical site infections.
Young PY, Khadaroo RG
Surg Clin North Am 2014 Dec;94(6):1245-64. Epub 2014 Oct 3 doi: 10.1016/j.suc.2014.08.008. PMID: 25440122

Diagnosis

How to Prevent Surgical Site Infection in Vascular Surgery: A Review of the Evidence.
Zhao AH, Kwok CHR, Jansen SJ
Ann Vasc Surg 2022 Jan;78:336-361. Epub 2021 Sep 17 doi: 10.1016/j.avsg.2021.06.045. PMID: 34543711
Surgical site infection following abdominal surgery: a prospective cohort study.
Alkaaki A, Al-Radi OO, Khoja A, Alnawawi A, Alnawawi A, Maghrabi A, Altaf A, Aljiffry M
Can J Surg 2019 Apr 1;62(2):111-117. doi: 10.1503/cjs.004818. PMID: 30907567Free PMC Article
Risk factors for surgical site infection following operative treatment of ankle fractures: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Shao J, Zhang H, Yin B, Li J, Zhu Y, Zhang Y
Int J Surg 2018 Aug;56:124-132. Epub 2018 Jun 18 doi: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2018.06.018. PMID: 29929022
American College of Surgeons and Surgical Infection Society: Surgical Site Infection Guidelines, 2016 Update.
Ban KA, Minei JP, Laronga C, Harbrecht BG, Jensen EH, Fry DE, Itani KM, Dellinger EP, Ko CY, Duane TM
J Am Coll Surg 2017 Jan;224(1):59-74. Epub 2016 Nov 30 doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2016.10.029. PMID: 27915053
Surgical wound assessment and documentation of nurses: an integrative review.
Ding S, Lin F, Gillespie BM
J Wound Care 2016 May;25(5):232-40. doi: 10.12968/jowc.2016.25.5.232. PMID: 27169338

Therapy

Dexamethasone and Surgical-Site Infection.
Corcoran TB, Myles PS, Forbes AB, Cheng AC, Bach LA, O'Loughlin E, Leslie K, Chan MTV, Story D, Short TG, Martin C, Coutts P, Ho KM; PADDI Investigators; Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists Clinical Trials Network; Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Network
N Engl J Med 2021 May 6;384(18):1731-1741. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2028982. PMID: 33951362
Intracavity lavage and wound irrigation for prevention of surgical site infection.
Norman G, Atkinson RA, Smith TA, Rowlands C, Rithalia AD, Crosbie EJ, Dumville JC
Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2017 Oct 30;10(10):CD012234. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012234.pub2. PMID: 29083473Free PMC Article
Dressings for the prevention of surgical site infection.
Dumville JC, Gray TA, Walter CJ, Sharp CA, Page T, Macefield R, Blencowe N, Milne TK, Reeves BC, Blazeby J
Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2016 Dec 20;12(12):CD003091. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003091.pub4. PMID: 27996083Free PMC Article
Surgical hand antisepsis to reduce surgical site infection.
Tanner J, Dumville JC, Norman G, Fortnam M
Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2016 Jan 22;2016(1):CD004288. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004288.pub3. PMID: 26799160Free PMC Article
Preoperative bathing or showering with skin antiseptics to prevent surgical site infection.
Webster J, Osborne S
Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015 Feb 20;2015(2):CD004985. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004985.pub5. PMID: 25927093Free PMC Article

Prognosis

Surgical site infection and local management of the wound meta-analysis.
Stryja J
Rozhl Chir 2021 Summer;100(7):313-324. doi: 10.33699/PIS.2021.100.7.313-324. PMID: 34465107
Surgical site infection following abdominal surgery: a prospective cohort study.
Alkaaki A, Al-Radi OO, Khoja A, Alnawawi A, Alnawawi A, Maghrabi A, Altaf A, Aljiffry M
Can J Surg 2019 Apr 1;62(2):111-117. doi: 10.1503/cjs.004818. PMID: 30907567Free PMC Article
Risk factors for surgical site infection following operative treatment of ankle fractures: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Shao J, Zhang H, Yin B, Li J, Zhu Y, Zhang Y
Int J Surg 2018 Aug;56:124-132. Epub 2018 Jun 18 doi: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2018.06.018. PMID: 29929022
Prevention of Surgical Site Infection in Spine Surgery.
Anderson PA, Savage JW, Vaccaro AR, Radcliff K, Arnold PM, Lawrence BD, Shamji MF
Neurosurgery 2017 Mar 1;80(3S):S114-S123. doi: 10.1093/neuros/nyw066. PMID: 28350942
Evidence update on prevention of surgical site infection.
Leaper D, Ousey K
Curr Opin Infect Dis 2015 Apr;28(2):158-63. doi: 10.1097/QCO.0000000000000144. PMID: 25692267

Clinical prediction guides

Systematic review of groin wound surgical site infection incidence after arterial intervention.
Gwilym BL, Locker DT, Matthews EK, Mazumdar E, Adamson G, Wall ML, Bosanquet DC
Int Wound J 2023 Apr;20(4):1276-1291. Epub 2022 Oct 2 doi: 10.1111/iwj.13959. PMID: 36184849Free PMC Article
Liberal or restrictive antimicrobial prophylaxis for surgical site infection: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials.
Fowler AJ, Dias P, Hui S, Cashmore R, Laloo R, Ahmad AN, Gillies MA, Wan YI, Pearse RM, Abbott TEF
Br J Anaesth 2022 Jul;129(1):104-113. Epub 2022 May 27 doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2022.04.013. PMID: 35644677
The clinical and economic impact of surgical site infections after distal pancreatectomy.
De Pastena M, Paiella S, Fontana M, Filippini C, Addari L, Giorgi A, Canton S, Zanusso G, Azzini AM, Bassi C, Tacconelli E, Salvia R
Surgery 2022 Jun;171(6):1652-1657. Epub 2021 Dec 28 doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2021.11.010. PMID: 34972593
Surgical Site Infection after Surgical Stabilization of Rib Fractures: Rare but Morbid.
Prins JTH, Leasia K, Dull MB, Lawless RA, Platnick KB, Werner NL, Wijffels MME, Moore EE, Pieracci FM
Surg Infect (Larchmt) 2022 Feb;23(1):5-11. Epub 2021 Nov 11 doi: 10.1089/sur.2021.165. PMID: 34762547
Patient-Generated Health Data in Surgical Site Infection: Changing Clinical Workflow and Care Delivery.
Lober WB, Evans HL
Surg Infect (Larchmt) 2019 Oct;20(7):571-576. Epub 2019 Aug 9 doi: 10.1089/sur.2019.195. PMID: 31397635

Recent systematic reviews

Antimicrobial stewardship for surgical antibiotic prophylaxis and surgical site infections: a systematic review.
Martinez-Sobalvarro JV, Júnior AAP, Pereira LB, Baldoni AO, Ceron CS, Dos Reis TM
Int J Clin Pharm 2022 Apr;44(2):301-319. Epub 2021 Nov 29 doi: 10.1007/s11096-021-01358-4. PMID: 34843035
Negative pressure wound therapy for surgical site infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Gao J, Wang Y, Song J, Li Z, Ren J, Wang P
J Adv Nurs 2021 Oct;77(10):3980-3990. Epub 2021 Apr 27 doi: 10.1111/jan.14876. PMID: 33905552
Prophylactic postoperative measures to minimize surgical site infections in spine surgery: systematic review and evidence summary.
Tan T, Lee H, Huang MS, Rutges J, Marion TE, Mathew J, Fitzgerald M, Gonzalvo A, Hunn MK, Kwon BK, Dvorak MF, Tee J
Spine J 2020 Mar;20(3):435-447. Epub 2019 Sep 23 doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2019.09.013. PMID: 31557586
Impact of surgical site infection on healthcare costs and patient outcomes: a systematic review in six European countries.
Badia JM, Casey AL, Petrosillo N, Hudson PM, Mitchell SA, Crosby C
J Hosp Infect 2017 May;96(1):1-15. Epub 2017 Mar 8 doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2017.03.004. PMID: 28410761
Diabetes and Risk of Surgical Site Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Martin ET, Kaye KS, Knott C, Nguyen H, Santarossa M, Evans R, Bertran E, Jaber L
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016 Jan;37(1):88-99. Epub 2015 Oct 27 doi: 10.1017/ice.2015.249. PMID: 26503187Free PMC Article

Supplemental Content

Table of contents

    Practice guidelines

    • PubMed
      See practice and clinical guidelines in PubMed. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.
    • Bookshelf
      See practice and clinical guidelines in NCBI Bookshelf. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.

    Related information

    • MeSH
      Related Medical Subject Headings
    • PMC Articles
      Related information in PubMed Central Links
    • PubMed
      Related literature resources in PubMed

    Recent activity

    Clear Turn Off Turn On

    Your browsing activity is empty.

    Activity recording is turned off.

    Turn recording back on

    See more...