title: Updated recommendations for control of surgical site infections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study is to provide updated guidelines for the prevention of surgical wound infections based upon review and interpretation of the current and past literature.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The development and treatment of surgical wound infections has always been a limiting factor to the success of surgical treatment. Although continuous improvements have been made, surgical site infections continue to occur at an unacceptable rate, annually costing billions of dollars in economic loss caused by associated morbidity and mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provided extensive recommendations for the control of surgical infections in 1999. Review of the current literature with interpretation of the findings has been done to update the recommendations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  New and sometimes conflicting studies indicate that coordination and application of techniques and procedures to decrease wound infections will be highly successful, even in patients with very high risks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review suggests that uniform adherence to the proposed guidelines for the prevention of surgical infections could reduce wound infections significantly; namely to a target of less than 0.5% in clean wounds, less than 1% in clean contaminated wounds and less than 2% in highly contaminated wounds and decrease related costs to less than one-half of the current amount.
authors.affiliation: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, USA. jwesley.alexander@uc.edu
authors.forename: J Wesley
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Joseph S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Solomkin
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006287:Health Planning Guidelines; D006801:Humans; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*