The not-so-hidden costs of surgical site infections.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) adversely affect approximately 500,000 patients annually, causing immense human suffering and taking a huge financial toll on patients, hospitals, insurance companies, and the government. National organizations have made recommendations for reducing SSIs, and many advances have been made in evidence-based practice recommendations that result in fewer SSIs. Reusable electrocardiogram (ECG) lead wires can be a significant source of infection. One medical center near Richmond, VA, began using a disposable ECG lead wire set and wireless transceiver system and subsequently experienced a 40% decrease in SSIs.