A method to track surgical site infections.
We present an approach to assessing the impact of surveillance for surgical site infections and providing feedback to surgeons on their progress, as part of continuous quality improvement. Adjusting for patient risk factors using the Standardized Mortality Ratio, there was a marked decrease over time in both SMR (1.3 to 0.27) and crude infection rates (32 to 10 per thousand operations per year). These declines cannot be explained by decreased length of hospital stay.
McCall
J L
JL
Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA 01199, USA.
Macchiaroli
S
S
Brown
R B
RB
Schulte
M J
MJ
Calderone
S
S
Selbovitz
L G
LG
Corl
A M
AM
Reed
W P
WP
Friedmann
P
P
D019985:Benchmarking; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008404:Massachusetts; D009775:Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012308:Risk Management / Q000379:methods*; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014481:United States