title: Factors associated with risk of surgical wound infections.
abstract: Surgical wound infections are the most common hospital-acquired infections among patients who undergo inpatient surgery. Risk of infection is a function of both patient susceptibility and exposure. The authors studied all discharges in Pennsylvania from October 1, 2004, through September 30, 2005, in which a circulatory (n= 65 940), neurological (n= 6706), or orthopedic (n = 107 825) procedure was performed using data from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council. They estimated the impact of patient-specific factors on risk of infection and compared the ability of these factors to predict infections relative to hospital effects. Results suggested that for all 3 types of procedures, patient-specific factors were a significant determinant of risk of surgical wound infection. However, prediction of infection was improved by 23% to 33% when hospital fixed effects were included. Although patient-specific factors had a statistically significant association with risk of infections, much of the risk of surgical wound infections is determined by hospital factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Evaluation Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA. chollenbeak@psu.edu
authors.forename: Christopher S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Hollenbeak
authors.forename: Judith R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lave
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zeddies
authors.forename: Yanfen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pei
authors.forename: Constance E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Roland
authors.forename: Eugene F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010414:Pennsylvania / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*