TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Chapter 69. Surgical Site Infections A1 - Mattei, Peter A2 - Shah, Samir S. PY - 2009 T2 - Pediatric Practice: Infectious Disease AB - Surgical site infections (SSI) are infections that occur in tissues or organs that a surgeon has incised or come into contact with during the course of a surgical procedure or operation. Despite advances in the understanding of risk factors, pathogenesis, and prophylaxis, SSI are still a significant source of morbidity for children who undergo operative procedures. Estimated to occur in 2–6% of children who undergo an operation, SSI in some studies account for up to early one quarter of all nosocomial infections in this age group.1–7 For the individual, an SSI can mean prolongation of the hospital stay, additional surgical interventions, the risk of further complications and, most importantly, unnecessary pain and anxiety. For society, the treatment of these largely preventable complications substantially increases the overall cost of health care, as the cost of treatment for each patient with an SSI increases by an average of approximately 36%.8 SN - PB - The McGraw-Hill Companies CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/28 UR - accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=6927232 ER -