Surveillance of surgical site infections after gastrointestinal surgery in the south region of the Netherlands

  • Amita Ramcharan Maastricht University Medical Center
  • Ed Smeets Maastricht University Medical Center
  • Margriet Rouflart Maastricht University Medical Center
  • Frank Tiel, van Maastricht University Medical Center
  • Cathrien Bruggeman Maastricht University Medical Center
  • Stéphanie Breukink Maastricht University Medical Center
  • Jan Tordoir Maastricht University Medical Center
  • Cor Baeten Maastricht University Medical Center

Abstract

A surgical site infection (SSI) is a serious and costly complication with the highest rates being reported after gastrointestinal surgery. The objective of this cross sectional study was to assess the incidence and risk factors of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery during and after hospitalization, and to evaluate the effect of the VMS (Dutch: “VeiligheidsManagementSysteem”) safety programme on the SSI rate. We assessed the SSI rate from July 2008 until December 2011, according to the criteria of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), before and after implementation of the VMS safety programme which includes a bundle of four interventions. We differentiated between the SSI rate during and after hospitalization and between superficial, deep and organ/space infections. The incidence of SSI in relation to the wound class, risk factors for SSI, and the compliance with the programme were assessed. Data were obtained during a thirty-day follow-up period after surgery. Surveillance after discharge significantly increased the overall SSI rate. Age higher than fifty years and contaminated or dirty wounds were risk factors for SSIs. Despite increased compliance with the safety programme, no significant decrease in SSI rate was found after implementation. The Dutch VMS safety programme did not show a significant effect on the decrease in incidence of SSI. Surveillance during and after hospitalization is essential for a reliable assessment of the SSI rate.

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Author Biographies

Amita Ramcharan, Maastricht University Medical Center
Department of Medical Microbiology
Ed Smeets, Maastricht University Medical Center
Department of Medical Microbiology
Margriet Rouflart, Maastricht University Medical Center
Department of Medical Microbiology
Frank Tiel, van, Maastricht University Medical Center
Department of Medical Microbiology
Cathrien Bruggeman, Maastricht University Medical Center
Department of Medical Microbiology
Stéphanie Breukink, Maastricht University Medical Center
Department of Surgery
Jan Tordoir, Maastricht University Medical Center
Department of Surgery
Cor Baeten, Maastricht University Medical Center
Department of Surgery
Published
2014-03-26
How to Cite
Ramcharan, A., Smeets, E., Rouflart, M., Tiel, van, F., Bruggeman, C., Breukink, S., Tordoir, J., & Baeten, C. (2014). Surveillance of surgical site infections after gastrointestinal surgery in the south region of the Netherlands. International Journal of Infection Control, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.3396/ijic.v10i2.11725
Section
Original Articles