Surgical Site Infection

What is a surgical site infection?

A surgical site infection is an infection that happens in the incision or deep tissue around the surgical site, within 30 days of the surgery. There is a risk of infection after any surgery. There are patient and surgical factors that may add to the risk of getting a surgical site infection.

Patient factors are:

• Age.
• Overall health
• Nutritional status.
• Alcohol or tobacco use.
• Other health issues (such as diabetes, vascular disease, and type of cancer).
• Medications that the patient takes.

Surgical factors are:

• Type of surgery.
• Area of the body.
• Surgical technique.
• Use of antibiotics before the surgery to prevent infection.

How can you prevent a surgical site infection?

There are a number of ways to prevent surgical infection:

• Tell your surgeon and care team if you have diabetes. Maintaining a normal blood sugar is important to prevent infection.
• Tell your surgeon and care team about all medications you are taking and the reason.
• Follow the instructions your care team has given you on how to bathe before your procedure.
• Keep warm before and after surgery. Wear warm cloths and wrap in blankets before and after surgery. Body temperature has a major influence on the risk of infection after surgery. The surgical team will keep you warm during the procedure.
• If you are ordered antibiotics to take before surgery, take them as instructed.
• Wash your hands before touching the wound or changing dressings.

What are the signs and symptoms of a surgical site infection?

• Redness, swelling, new pain, or tenderness at the surgical site.
• Fever. Your care team will tell you at what temperature you should call them.
• Pus, foul odor, or new drainage from the surgical site (drainage immediately after surgery is normal).
• A surgical wound that reopens.

When should I contact my care team?

If you have any of the signs of infection listed above, contact your care provider right away.