title: Surgical site infection surveillance in orthopedic patients in the Military Medical Academy, Belgrade.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Active surveillance is an important component of surgical site infection (SSI) reduction strategy. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare SSI surveillance data in orthopedic patients in the Military Medical Academy (MMA), Belgrade.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 4-year prospective cohort study was performed to identify the incidence rate and risk factors for SSI in orthopedic patients in the MMA, Belgrade. We collected data regarding patients characteristics, health care and micro-organisms isolated in SSI. The National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance (NNIS) risk index was subsequently calculated for each patient. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria were used for the diagnosis of SSI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Assessment of 3,867 patients after different orthopedic operations revealed SSI in 109 patients. The overall incidence rate of SSI was 2.8% with the decrease from 4.6% in 2007 to 1.6% in 2010. Using NNIS risk index for surgical procedures there were: 53.7% (2,077) patients with risk 0--the incidence rate of 1.4%; 38.9% (1,506) patients with risk 1--the incidence rate of 3.1%; 7.3% (281) patients with risk 2--the incidence rate of 11.7%; 0.1% (3) patients with risk 3--without infection within the risk. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified 6 independent risk factors associated with SSI: contaninated or dirty wounds, smoking, preoperative infection, NNIS risk index, body mass index and the length of hospital stay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of our study are valuable confirmation of relations between risk factors and SSI in orthopedic patients. A decreasing incidence rate of SSI (from 4.6% to 1.6%) during a 4-year active surveillance approved its implementation as an important component of SSI reduction strategy.
authors.forename: Srdjan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Starčević
authors.forename: Staša
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Munitlak
authors.forename: Biljana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mijović
authors.forename: Dragan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mikić
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Suljagić
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055771:Serbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*