title: Back to basics: giving attention to surgical infection prevention.
abstract: When it comes to postoperative infection, there should be no argument about the business case for quality. Postoperative infection is a major cause of patient injury, mortality and health care cost. An estimated 2.6 percent of the nearly 30 million operations each year are complicated by surgical site infections, and patients with infections have twice the incidence of mortality.
authors.affiliation: Henry Ford Health System, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, USA. wconway@Henry Ford Hospitals.org
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Conway
mesh_terms: D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014487:Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000592:standards*; D016344:Medicare Part A / Q000592:standards; D008824:Michigan; D009873:Operating Rooms / Q000592:standards*; D011366:Professional Review Organizations; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014481:United States