The results of a new study show that patients with a surgical site infection (SSI) are more likely to experience increases in mortality and long-term infection risk.

The retrospective observational cohort study, published in JAMA Surgery, examined whether an infection contracted during the first 30 days following a surgical procedure was associated with increased incidence of mortality and infection during the roughly 11 months that followed (postoperative days 31 to 365).

The study included nearly 660,000 veterans undergoing major surgery through the Veterans Health Administration from January 2008 to December 2015. As the researchers note, at any given point between postoperative days 31 to 365, patients who experienced postoperative infection during the initial 30 postoperative days had a 1.9-fold higher risk of mortality and 3.2-fold higher risk of one-year infection compared with those patients without a 30-day infection.  

Among these patients, about 3.6% had a 30-day infection, about 6.6% had a long-term infection and about 3.8% died during follow-up. The most frequent types of postoperative infection were urinary tract infection, skin and soft tissue infection, bloodstream infection, pneumonia or a simultaneous combination of multiple infection types.

The researchers conclude, "Preventive efforts in the first 30 days postoperatively may improve long-term patient outcomes."