Preliminary data of the Surveillance of Surgical Site infections at Gaziantep University Hospital

Summary Surgical site infection (SSI) is a major surgical complication that leads to mortality, morbidity and socioeconomic losses. The objective of this study is to determine the rate of SSIs, the pathogens involved in the infections and the associated antimicrobial sensitivity patterns in the surgical clinics of our hospital. This study was conducted in all surgical departments of our hospital except ophthalmology. Patients ( n = 1397) who had surgery for any reason and who stayed in the hospital for at least 48 h were enrolled in this study. The criteria issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was utilized in defining and diagnosing SSI. During the study, SSIs developed in 131 (9.4%) of 1397 patients. The development of a SSI resulted in an additional 12.8 days of hospital stay. Gram-negative microorganisms constituted 74.6% of the pathogens responsible for the SSIs. The most commonly isolated microorganisms were Escherichia coli (32.8%), Pseudomonas spp. (13.4%) and Enterococcus spp. (11.9%). Methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci was 83.3% and 100%, respectively. No vancomycin resistance was detected in the enterococci. The rates of extended spectrum beta lactamase production in E. coli and Klebsiella strains were 86.3% and 42.8%, respectively. SSI surveillance studies should be performed to decrease the rate of SSIs.