Surgical site infection

A surgical site infection (SSI) develop when bacteria infiltrate the body through surgical incisions. These bacteria may come from the patient's own skin, the surgical instruments, or the environment in which the procedure is performed.

An infection is designated as an SSI if it develops at the site of a surgical wound, either because of contamination during surgery or as a result of postoperative complications. For the infection to be classified as an SSI, it should occur within 30 days after surgery or within 1 year if an implant is involved.

Surgical site infections that are limited to the skin and subcutaneous tissues are classified as superficial incisional SSIs. These infections are the most common type, accounting for more than 50% of all reported surgical site infections.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.