Healthcare-associated (HA) bloodstream infections (BSI) secondary top surgical site infections: surveillance program across Quebec hospitals (2007 to 2010)

Results 56 of the 89 eligible centers participated (67% of shortterm hospital beds), 64 % of those beds were in teaching hospitals. Of the 7709 episodes of HA-BSIs, 874 (11 %) were secondary to a SSI. Gastrointestinal surgeries were, by far, the leading cause of BSIs (244 – 28%) followed by cardiac surgery (132 – 15%), and orthopaedic surgery (98 – 11%). Implants were present in 25 cases (19%). The majority of SSIs (496 -57%) were organ space infections. S. aureus was the organism most often isolated in 28% (274), followed by E. coli in 13% (130) of patients. Overall, 79% of patients were admitted on a general/specialised ward upon onset, compared to 15% in ICU, and 6% in ambulatory care. The mean time to infection was 21 days with a median of 10 days (median time to infection for cardiac compared to gastrointestinal surgery: 11 and 8 days respectively). 75% of BSIs occurred in teaching hospitals.