Diabetic patients are significantly more likely than non-diabetic patients to develop surgical site infections during surgery, according to a study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
Here are four insights:
1. The researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 94 studies published between 1985 and 2015.
2. The study found that diabetics undergoing surgery were 50 percent more likely to develop an SSI compared to patients without diabetes.
3. SSIs were the most frequent cause of hospital-acquired infection, occurring in 4 percent of surgeries in this studies analyzed.
4. "Hospitals routinely monitor glucose levels in surgical patients, but heightened awareness among healthcare professionals of infection prevention measures is warranted for diabetic patients before and after surgery," said Emily Toth Martin, PhD, lead author of the study.
