Surgical Site Infection: What Every Patient and Trainee Needs to Know

Surgical site infections affect millions of patients every year — and yet most people, including many new trainees, don't know how to recognize one, treat one, or prevent one. In this video, I, Dr. Erik Pearson (board-certified pediatric and general surgeon) break down everything you need to know about SSI: the three CDC classifications, who is at risk, how to diagnose and treat each type, the warning signs that require emergency care, and the evidence-based prevention bundle that actually moves the needle. Sign up and join the CITIZENSURGEON Community: https://citizensurgeon.co/signup Whether you just had surgery and something doesn't look right, or you're a medical trainee trying to build a systematic approach to wound problems — this video is for you. What I'm covering: The 3 types of SSI (superficial, deep, organ/space) and why the distinction matters Risk factors: patient, procedure, and perioperative The OPEN Framework for trainees: Observe, Peel it apart, Evidence check, Next steps When to open a wound Do infected wounds actually need antibiotics? What the evidence says Necrotizing soft tissue infection: the one you cannot miss SSI Prevention Check Out these Awesome Time Stamps Start 00:00 Defining SSI 02:08 Who is at Risk of SSI 05:20 Procedural Risk Factors for SSI 08:19 Red Flags for SSI 11:00 OPEN Framework for Wound Evaluation 13:35 Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infection 19:42 Prevention of SSI 22:59 📚 References and further reading linked below. 🔔 Subscribe for the full Intern Bootcamp series and evidence-based surgical education. Primary Guidelines CDC/NHSN Surgical Site Infection Surveillance Definitions (2024) — cdc.gov/nhsn — The definitive classification reference WHO Global Guidelines for the Prevention of SSI, 2nd Ed. (2018) — who.int — Comprehensive international prevention standard Calderwood MS et al. Strategies to Prevent SSI in Acute-Care Hospitals: 2022 Update. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2023;44(5):695–720. — SHEA/IDSA practice guidelines ASCRS Clinical Practice Guideline: Preventing Surgical Site Infection (2024) — ascrsu.com — First ASCRS CPG on SSI; covers colorectal-specific evidence NICE Guideline NG125: Prevention and Treatment of SSI (2019, reviewed 2020) — nice.org.uk Key Evidence Papers Shambhu S et al. The Burden of Healthcare Utilization, Cost, and Mortality Associated with Select Surgical Site Infections. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2024;50(12):857–866. — Cost and mortality burden data Ai C et al. Clinical Outcomes and Hospital-Reported Cost Associated with SSI. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2025. doi:10.1017/ice.2025.13 — $30,689 attributable cost; 11.6 extra LOS days De Gasperi A et al. Surgical Site Infections and Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Surgery: Update 2023. In: Practical Trends in Anesthesia and Intensive Care 2022. Springer, Cham, 2024. — Bundle evidence synthesis Patient Resources CDC: Surgical Site Infection Information for Patients — cdc.gov/hai/ssi — Plain-language overview ACS: Surgical Site Infection Patient Education — facs.org — From the American College of Surgeons ACS NSQIP Surgical Risk Calculator — riskcalculator.facs.org — Patients and surgeons can estimate individual procedure risk MUST HAVE SURGERY BOOKS Sabiston's Textbook of Surgery https://citizensurgeon.co/Sabiston Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy https://citizensurgeon.co/Moore Netter's Anatomical Atlas https://citizensurgeon.co/Netter Schwartz Principles of Surgery https://citizensurgeon.co/Schwartz Fischer's Mastery of Surgery https://citizensurgeon.co/Mastery Zollinger's Atlas of Surgical Operations https://citizensurgeon.co/Zollinger Top Knife (MUST MUST HAVE) https://citizensurgeon.co/topknife SOME RECENT READS The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod - http://citizensurgeon.co/MiracleMorning Atomic Habits by James Clear - http://citizensurgeon.co/AtomicHabits BE MY FRIEND Sign up and join the CITIZENSURGEON Community: https://citizensurgeon.co/signup My Website: https://www.citizensurgeon.com​​ Instagram: http://citizensurgeon.co/instagram​​ Twitter: http://citizensurgeon.co/twitter​​ WHO AM I? I'm Dr. Erik Pearson, FACS and I am a board certified pediatric surgeon living in Las Vegas. I make surgical education videos on all topics in general surgery as well as talks on lifestyle design as a surgeon, book reviews, and studying effectively. DISCLAIMER While my aim is to help educate you for the ward, the surgical ICU, the operating room and your exams remember these videos are not a replacement for your reading, your medical school and residency preparation and most important your own decision making. If you have medical questions definitely consult a medical professional. Good luck and enjoy! Affiliate Links - There are a few links in the description that may lead to a kickback to me to help support the channel. Stock music ID: SBA-348402884 #InternBootcamp #MedicalEducation #InternYear #SSI #Surgicalsiteinfection #infection #infections #patientsafety