AND RELEVANCE In a broad review of published literature , risk factors for SSI were characterized as describing reduced fitness , patient frailty , surgery duration , and complexity .
IMPORTANCE Surgical site infection ( SSI ) complicates 2 - 5 % of surgeries in the United States .
Severity of SSI ranges from superficial skin infection to life-threatening conditions such as severe sepsis , and SSIs are responsible for increased morbidity , mortality , and economic burden associated with surgery .
Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) is a commonly-isolated organism for SSI , and methicillin-resistant S. aureus SSI incidence is increasing globally .
OBJECTIVE The objective of this systematic review was to characterize risk factors for SSI within observational studies describing incidence of SSI in a real-world setting .
Methodologic Challenges to Studying Patient Safety and Comparative Effectiveness
Studies of patient safety and comparative effectiveness entail unique method ologic challenges . These studies may be susceptible to systematic error , including selection bias , exposure misclassification , and outcome misclassification . They may also be vulnerable to r and om error , or confounding by a variable such as another drug , a disease , or the drug indication itself . Finally , special logistical issues can arise , including data access problems , difficulties in conveying the need for studies of certain interventions , and obstacles to gaining institutional review board approval . This article provides a conceptual overview of these method ologic issues
AND RELEVANCE In a broad review of published literature , risk factors for SSI were characterized as describing reduced fitness , patient frailty , surgery duration , and complexity .
IMPORTANCE Surgical site infection ( SSI ) complicates 2 - 5 % of surgeries in the United States .
Severity of SSI ranges from superficial skin infection to life-threatening conditions such as severe sepsis , and SSIs are responsible for increased morbidity , mortality , and economic burden associated with surgery .
Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) is a commonly-isolated organism for SSI , and methicillin-resistant S. aureus SSI incidence is increasing globally .
OBJECTIVE The objective of this systematic review was to characterize risk factors for SSI within observational studies describing incidence of SSI in a real-world setting .