Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Feb 2014
Risk factors and outcomes associated with surgical site infections after craniotomy or craniectomy.
Many studies that have evaluated surgical site infections (SSIs) after craniotomy or craniectomy (CRANI) did not use robust methods to assess risk factors for SSIs or outcomes associated with SSIs. The authors conducted the current study to identify risk factors for SSIs after CRANI procedures and to evaluate outcomes attributed to SSIs. ⋯ Surgeons were able to prospectively assess a patient's risk of SSI based on preoperative risk factors and they could modify some processes of care to lower the risk of SSI. Surgical site infections substantially worsened patients' outcomes. Preventing SSIs after CRANI could improve patient outcomes and decrease health care utilization.