Current outcomes and predictors of treatment failure in patients with surgical site infection after elective colorectal surgery. A multicentre prospective cohort study

Summary Objective To determine current outcomes and predictors of treatment failure among patients with surgical site infection (SSI) after colorectal surgery. Methods A multicentre observational prospective cohort study of adults undergoing elective colorectal surgery in 10 Spanish hospitals (2011–2014). Treatment failure was defined as persistence of signs/symptoms of SSI or death at 30 days post-surgery. Results Of 3701 patients, 669 (18.1%) developed SSI; 336 (9.1%) were organ-space infections. Among patients with organ-space SSI, 81.2% required source control: 60.4% reoperation and 20.8% percutaneous/transrectal drainage. Overall treatment failure rate was 21.7%: 9% in incisional SSIs and 34.2% in organ-space SSIs ( p p Conclusions Rates of SSI and treatment failure in organ-space SSI after elective colorectal surgery are notably high. Careful attention should be paid to older patients with previous laparoscopy requiring reoperation for organ-space SSI, so that treatment failure can be identified early.