Surgical Site Infections (SSI)

What is a Surgical Site Infection (SSI)?

A surgical site infection is an infection that occurs after surgery in the
part of the body where the surgery took place. Most patients who have
surgery do not develop an infection. However, infections develop in
about 1 to 3 out of every 100 patients who have surgery.  Some of the common symptoms of a surgical site infection are:

  • Redness and pain around the area where you had surgery
  • Drainage of cloudy fluid from your surgical wound
  • Fever

 Surgical Site Infection (SSI) Tool Kit 


Free CUSP Toolkit Can Help Clinicians Make Care Safer

AHRQ's Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) toolkit includes training tools to make care safer by improving the foundation of how physicians, nurses, and other clinical team members work together. It combines a checklist of clinical best practices with an understanding of the science of safety, improved safety culture, and an increased focus on teamwork and communication. In a nationwide project to promote the use of CUSP, more than 1,000 ICUs reduced central line-associated bloodstream infections by 41 percent.

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National Healthcare Safety Network Launches Hospital TAP Reports

The National Healthcare Safety Network now offers reports that can help hospitals target their infection prevention efforts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced today. The Targeted Assessment for Prevention reports allow authorized users to identify facilities within a group or units within a facility with more infections than predicted based on Standardized Infection Ratio targets for catheter-associated urinary tract infection, central line-associated bloodstream infection and Clostridium difficile. "AHA is pleased that CDC is making this tool available to hospitals that are looking to make further strides in reducing infections by being able to target areas that may provide the greatest opportunity for improvement," said John Combes, M.D., AHA senior vice president and chief medical officer.

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