title: Impact of a surgical site infection (SSI) surveillance program in orthopedics and traumatology.
abstract: Surveillance of surgical site infections (SSI) is a priority. One of the fundamental principles for the surveillance of SSI is based on receiving effective field feedback (retro-information). The aim of this study was to report the results of a program of SSI surveillance and validate the hypothesis that there is a correlation between creating a SSI surveillance program and a reduction in SSI.
  
  
  METHODS
  The protocol was based on the weekly collection of surveillance data obtained directly from the different information systems in different departments. A delay of 3 months was established before extraction and analysis of data and information from the surgical teams. The NNIS index (National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System) developed by the American surveillance system and the reduction of length of hospital stay index Journées d'hospitalisation évitées (JHE).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Since the end of 2009, 7156 surgical procedures were evaluated (rate of inclusion 97.3%), and 84 SSI were registered with a significant decrease over time from 1.86% to 0.66%. A total of 418 days of hospitalization have been saved since the beginning of the surveillance system.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our surveillance system has three strong points: follow-up is continuous, specifically adapted to orthopedic traumatology and nearly exhaustive. The extraction of data directly from hospital information systems effectively improves the collection of data on surgical procedures. The implementation of a SSI surveillance protocol reduces SSI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level III. Prospective study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Dupuytren Teaching Hospital Center, 42, avenue Martin-Luther-King, 87042 Limoges, France. ch-mabit@unilim.fr
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mabit
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Marcheix
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mounier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dijoux
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pestourie
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bonnevialle
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonnomet
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009985:Orthopedics; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013997:Time Factors; D014194:Traumatology