Article Sections

Introduction

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are infections that occur near a surgical site ≤30 days after surgery (or within 90 days if prosthetic material was implanted) and are a common cause of postoperative fever ( Figure 1).  SSIs may involve the incision or any area that was manipulated during the procedure and are a common postoperative complication that contributes to increased morbidity, prolonged hospital stays, and higher health care costs.

Surgical site infections are classified based on the tissue involved:

  • Superficial incisional infections involve the skin and subcutaneous tissue.
  • Deep incisional infections involve fascia and muscle.
  • Organ/deep space infections involve any space deeper than the fascia/muscle (eg, intraabdominal abscess, joint infection, spinal abscess, endometritis).
  • Necrotizing soft tissue infections involve the skin, subcutaneous tissue, fascia, and muscle, and are life-threatening.

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