FAILURE TO DETECT A GENERAL REDUCTION OF SURGICAL-WOUND INFECTIONS INDANISH HOSPITALS - RESULTS FROM A REPRESENTATIVE NATIONAL SENTINEL DATABASE

The aim of this study was to see if introduction of continuous monitor ing of the incidence of surgical wound infections would result in a re duction in the cumulated infection rates. Data from a Danish sentinel system, including more than 65,000 operations, are shown to be suffici ently representative to be used as the basis of a national surveillanc e system for surgical wound infections. The overall infection rates in creased with age and with contamination of the wound. Antibiotic proph ylaxis was used in 36% of the operations, with a higher fraction among elderly patients, and in contaminated or major operations. The length of stay was significantly and equally extended for patients with supe rficial or deep infections, compared to patients without wound infecti ons. The results from 13 departments could be followed at least two ye ars from the beginning of the registration. No general preventive effe cts of the continuous monitoring were found in these surgical units.