About 5% of patients who have surgery and as many as 10-20% of patients who have undergone colorectal surgery have postoperative wound infections.
Surgical site infections 2.7 times higher in patients with remote infection.
Poorly controlled diabetes is a risk factor for surgical site infection.
Cigarette smoking associated with and increased risk of surgical site infection.
Perioperative hypothermia increases surgical site infection rate.
Obesity identified as a risk factor for surgical site infection rate.
Prolongs hospitalization by an average of one week.
Possibly the most common serious complication of surgery and anesthesia.