J Korean Surg Soc.  2011 Nov;81(5):295-307. 10.4174/jkss.2011.81.5.295.

The epidemiology and cost of surgical site infections in Korea: a systematic review

• Lee KY
• Coleman K
• Paech D
• Norris S
• Tan JT

• KMID: 2096682
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4174/jkss.2011.81.5.295

Abstract

PURPOSE
To conduct a systematic literature review of the epidemiological and economic burden of surgical site infection (SSI) in Korea.
METHODS
A search of the EMBASE, Medline and KoreaMed databases for English and Korean language publications was conducted. Searches for epidemiological and economic studies were conducted separately and limited to 1995 to 2010 to ensure the pertinence of the data.
RESULTS
Twenty-six studies were included. The overall incidence of SSI in Korea was 2.0 to 9.7%. The National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance risk index was positively correlated with the risk of developing an SSI. Specific risk factors for SSI, identified through multivariate analyses included; diabetes, antibiotic prophylaxis and wound classification. SSIs were associated with increased hospitalisation cost, with each episode of SSI estimated to cost about an additional 2,000,000. A substantial portion of the increased cost was attributed to hospital room costs and the need for additional medication. Studies also found that post-operative stays for patients with SSIs were 5 to 20 days longer, while two studies reported that following cardiac surgery, patients with SSIs spent an additional 5 to 11 days in the intensive care unit, compared to patients without SSIs.
CONCLUSION
Data from the included studies demonstrate that SSI represents a significant clinical and economic burden in Korea. Consequently, the identification of high-risk patient populations and the development of strategies aimed at reducing SSI may lead to cost-savings for the healthcare system.

Keyword

Surgical site infection; Epidemiology; Cost

MeSH Terms

Antibiotic Prophylaxis
Cross Infection
Delivery of Health Care
Dietary Sucrose
Humans
Incidence
Intensive Care Units
Korea
Multivariate Analysis
Risk Factors
Thoracic Surgery
Dietary Sucrose

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