The Impacts of Deep Surgical Site Infections on Readmissions, Length of Stay, and Costs: A Matched Case-Control Study Conducted in an Academic Hospital in the Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of deep surgical site infections (dSSIs) regarding hospital readmissions, prolonged length of stay (LoS), and estimated costs.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We designed and applied a matched case-control observational study using the electronic health records at the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands. We compared patients with dSSI and non-SSI, matched on the basis of having similar procedures. A prevailing topology of surgeries categorized as clean, clean-contaminated, contaminated, and dirty was applied.

RESULTS

Out of a total of 12,285 patients, 393 dSSI were identified as cases, and 2864 patients without SSIs were selected as controls. A total of 343 dSSI patients (87%) and 2307 (81%) controls required hospital readmissions. The median LoS was 7 days (P-P: 2.5-14.5) for dSSI patients and 5 days (P-P: 1-9) for controls (-value: <0.001). The estimated mean cost per hospital admission was €9,016 (SE±343) for dSSI patients and €5,409 (SE±120) for controls (p<0.001). Independent variables associated with dSSI were patient's age ≥65 years (OR: 1.334; 95% CI: 1.036-1.720), the use of prophylactic antibiotics (OR: 0.424; 95% CI: 0.344-0.537), and neoplasms (OR: 2.050; 95% CI: 1.473-2.854).

CONCLUSION

dSSI is associated with increased costs, prolonged LoS, and increased readmission rates. Elevated risks were seen for elderly patients and those with neoplasms. Additionally, a protective effect of prophylactic antibiotics was found.