Surgical Site Infection (SSI)
A surgical site infection is an infection that occurs after surgery in the part of the body where the surgery took place. Surgical site infections can sometimes be superficial infections involving the skin only. Other surgical site infections are more serious and can involve tissues under the skin, organs, or implanted material. CDC provides guidelines and tools to the healthcare community to help end surgical site infections and resources to help the public understand these infections and take measures to safeguard their own health when possible.
Resources for Patients and Healthcare Providers
- Frequently Asked Questions about Surgical Site Infection (SSI)
- CDC Feature: Having Surgery? What You Should Know Before You Go
- October 2008 Supplement of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology (Volume 29, Number S1)
- FAQ's about Surgical Site Infections
8.5" by 11" poster is available in the following formats:
Prevention
CDC, in collaboration with other organizations, has developed guidelines for the prevention of SSIs healthcare-associated infections. Facilities can monitor the rates of SSI and assess the effectiveness of prevention efforts through CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).
Toolkits
- Surgical Site Infection (SSI) Toolkit [PDF - 208 KB]
SSI Toolkit [PPT - 468 KB] available in PowerPoint format
Activity C: ELC Prevention Collaboratives - SSI Baseline Prevention Practices Assessment Tool For States Establishing HAI Prevention Collaboratives [PDF - 229 KB]
Prevention Resources for State Health Departments
- Collaboration Primer: Establishing HAI Prevention Collaboratives
Collaboration Primer [PPT - 920 KB] available in PowerPoint format.
Monitoring SSIs
CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network Patient Safety Component includes surveillance methods to identify and track procedure-associated infections, such as Surgical site infection. [More…]
Get email updates
To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address:
Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd
Atlanta, GA 30333 - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348 - New Hours of Operation
8am-8pm ET/Monday-Friday
Closed Holidays - cdcinfo@cdc.gov
