Objective: To determine the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) for high-risk surgical procedures and any changes in the incidence of SSI during the years 2003 to 2005.
Material and Method: SSI surveillance data were obtained from Ramathobodi’s Infection Control Committee for analysis.
Results: The overall 30-day incidence of SSI for 492 hepato-biliary-pancreas and colon procedures was 7.7% (38 of 492). Of the 38 SSIs, only 35 were analyzed in detail. Most patients had SSI types I and II, 89% of SSIs were detected within 20 days after operation, and most common organisms isolated were enterococcus species, E.coli, and P. aeruginosa. SSI rate for the year 2005 (11%) was significantly higher than that of the preceding years (4-5%).
Conclusion: Overall, SSI rates for Ramathibodi Hospital were not significantly different from those of other studies. The increased SSI rate for the year 2005 needed an explanation, but the value of the present report lies in the potential usefulness of the presented results for future prevention of SSIs.

Keywords: Incidence, Surgical site infection