Surveillance for surgical site infection (SSI) after neurosurgery: influence of the US or Brest (France) National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance risk index on SSI rates.

A total of 5,628 neurosurgical patients were observed in France to assess the occurrence of surgical site infection (SSI). Their risk of SSI was defined by calculating both the US National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance and the Brest National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance risk indexes. This study compares SSI rates stratified according to either the US or Brest (France) National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance risk index. The SSI rates were correlated with National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance data involving only local operation durations.