Comparison of Average Surgical Site Infection Risk by Operative Procedure in California Hospitals, 2015
Source: California Department of Public Health (CSV). The dataset records surgical site infections (SSIs) from California hospitals, reported to the California Department of Public Health, including information on procedure counts, observed and predicted infections, and the Standardized Infection Ratio (SIR).
- Appendix surgeries had the highest average SIR at roughly 1.38, indicating a higher risk of surgical site infections compared to other procedures.
- Gallbladder and small bowel surgeries also showed relatively high average SIRs, with about 1.31 and 1.10 respectively.
- Hip prosthesis had the lowest average SIR among the top 10 procedures analyzed, at nearly 0.79.
- The analysis suggests that some procedures tend to have a higher risk of infections than what is predicted based on historical data.
- Operative procedures with higher average SIRs may require additional scrutiny and potentially improved prevention measures.