Volume 10, Number 11—November 2004
Research
Enhanced Identification of Postoperative Infections among Outpatients
Andrew L. Miner*†‡, Kenneth E. Sands*‡§, Deborah S. Yokoe*†‡, John Freedman#, Kristin Thompson†, James M. Livingston‡, and Richard Platt*†‡
Table 2
Results of medical record reviewa
| Characteristic | Breast (%) | Cesarean (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Procedures with possible SSIb | 410 (21) | 474 (10) |
| Requested 1 or more records (% of those with possible SSI)c | 395 (96) | 443 (93) |
| Records received (% of requested) | 295 (75) | 342 (77) |
| Adequate record received (% of requested) | 209 (53) | 255 (58) |
| No. among adequate records (% of adequate records)d | ||
| Confirmed SSI | 38 (18) | 82 (32) |
| Some signs and symptoms of SSI, does not meet criteria | 28 (13) | 56 (22) |
| No evidence of SSI | ||
| Another infection found, responsible for indicator | 9 (4) | 38 (15) |
| SSI indicator explained, not caused by infection | 29 (14) | 28 (11) |
| SSI indicator could not be explained | 105 (50) | 51 (20) |
aSSI, surgical site infection.
bFor breast procedures, those with possible SSI are procedures with predicted probability of infection >0.03. For cesarean section, procedures with possible SSI are those with any SSI indicator and no mastitis indicators.
cCommon reasons for not requesting records were the following: member's information restricted, no provider could be identified from claims, or no current contact information could be obtained for a provider.
dBreast procedure outcomes based on 60 postoperative days; cesarean section outcomes based on 30 postoperative days.
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