title: Report card on Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP): nationwide inpatient sample infection data 2001-2006.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The administration of appropriate antibiotics in a timely fashion with discontinuation post-operatively is the first of the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) initiatives and was expected to reduce post-operative infections significantly. This study aimed at determining whether SCIP has had an effect on surgical site infections (SSIs).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the infection rates of adult patients (age≥18 years) having elective cholecystectomies, laparoscopic cholecystectomies, and colectomies from 2001-2006 using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. The population consisted of all patients older than 18 years who had colon resection or cholecystectomy and were discharged from a hospital included in the NIS. Annual infection rates were determined for each of the operations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Post-operative infections rose steadily and significantly (p<0.0001) in colon surgery from 2001 to 2006. A significant increase in SSIs also was seen in open (p=0.0001) and laparoscopic (p<0.0001) cholecystectomy from 2001 to 2006. Length of stay was significantly longer in infected than in non-infected patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The factors that contributed to the observed increase in the infection rate should be identified to improve the SCIP initiatives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Neptune, New Jersey, USA. jmdavis@meridianhealth.com
authors.forename: John Mihran
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Yen-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Nasim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Yen-Liang
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Kuo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002763:Cholecystectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003082:Colectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D043963:Diverticulosis, Colonic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult