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Improving the Measurement of Surgical Site Infection Risk Stratification/Outcome Detection

Exhibit 7. Algorithm to identify deep and organ-space surgical site infections

Table of Contents

Surgery Description
CABG
  1. Presence of both postoperative culture and postoperative antibiotics, and the maximum postoperative leukocyte count is not less than 11.85
Herniorrhaphy

One of the following:

  1. Presence of a postoperative culture and one of the following criteria:
    1. The maximum postoperative leukocyte count is not less than 7.78
    2. The maximum postoperative neutrophil percentage is not less than 67.3
  2. Absence of a postoperative culture and one of the following criteria:
    1. Postoperative antibiotics given and any postoperative leukocyte count test drawn
    2. Postoperative antibiotics not given, but the patient had a postoperative admission
TKA

One of the following:

  1. Presence of a postoperative culture
  2. Presence of a C-reactive protein and the maximum postoperative leukocyte count is not less than 9.45
THA
  1. Presence of a postoperative culture and postoperative antibiotics were given and the maximum postoperative leukocyte count is not less than 7.55

CABG = coronary artery bypass grafting, TKA = total knee arthroplasty, THA = total hip arthroplasty.

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Publication:
1111

Page last reviewed April 2018
Page originally created December 2012

Internet Citation: Exhibit 7. Algorithm to identify deep and organ-space surgical site infections. Content last reviewed April 2018. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.
https://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/final-reports/ssi/ssiexh7.html

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