This article uses patient-linked data to focus on hospitalization with post-operative infection following cholecystectomy, hysterectomy or appendectomy. The average number of hospital days and the costs of readmission are also estimated.
Data for surgeries in fiscal years 1997/98, 1998/99 and 1999/00 are from the Health Person-Oriented Information Database.
Bivariate tabulations were used to estimate the percentage of patients hospitalized with post-operative infection after cholecystectomy, hysterectomy or appendectomy between 1997/98 and 1999/00. Logistic regression was used to explore associations between infection and patient characteristics, readmission, and peri-operative mortality, while controlling for surgical characteristics.
Hospitalization with post-operative infection was relatively rare, occurring in 1.4% of cholecystectomy, 2.0% of hysterectomy, and 3.8% of appendectomy patients. The associated costs of readmission for post-operative infection for the three surgeries were estimated at 5.4 to 6.3 million dollars annually. Old age, being male, surgical complexity and approach, and diabetes were associated with hospitalization involving a post-operative infection.