title: [Surgical site infections at Töölö hospital and the dog days myth].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the Finnish folklore, the time from June 23 to August 23 has been called "rotten month" (dog days), whereupon wound healing is delayed due to infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective comparison was made of surgical infections entered in the infections register at Töölö hospital over the dog days of 2002 to 2005.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 49517 surgical operations, 8 % were performed during dog days, during which the number of contaminated and infected surgeries was higher.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The risk of deep surgery wound infection of organ infection during dog days is two times higher than at other times.
authors.affiliation: Töölön sairaala, plastiikkakirurgian klinikka PL 266, 00029 HUS.
authors.forename: Virve
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Koljonen
authors.forename: Erkki
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tukiainen
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pipping
authors.forename: Elina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kolho
mesh_terms: D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005495:Folklore; D006801:Humans; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014945:Wound Healing