Preventing Surgical Site Infection Terry Coggins, MSN, RN, WOCN,
CWCN Medical Education Manager, Smith & Nephew One of the
biggest concerns in hospitals today is related to surgical site
infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC),
there are an estimated 780,000 operations every year that are
complicated by surgical site infections. Surgical site
infections increase the cost of care. For example, there are
reports that infections resulting from coronary artery bypass
graft surgery may increase the cost per patient by over $12,000.
In one hospital in south Florida, the cost of a surgical site
infection increased the cost of GI surgeries/orthopedic
surgeries by over $11,000 per patient1. There are also issues
with surgical site infections related to clinical outcomes.
Today, there are products that can help as part of an overall
plan to reduce surgical site infections. In particular, there
are wound dressings that can make a difference. When choosing a
wound dressing, consider: 1. ‘Is it bact