Postoperative infection is a major cause of patient injury, mortality and health care cost:
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An estimated 2.6 percent of nearly 30 million operations are complicated by surgical site infections (SSIs) each year.
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Infection rates, up to 11 percent, are reported for certain types of operations.
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Each infection is estimated to increase a hospital stay by an average of 7 days and add over $3,000 in charges (1992 data).
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Appropriate preoperative administration of antibiotics is effective in preventing infection.
