APRIL 28, 2025

SSIs Increase Bacteremia and Fungemia Infection Risk Sixfold; Add Staggering Costs

By Anna Tsioulias

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a significant contributor to postoperative complications, but a study published recently highlights an even greater concern: the co-occurrence of hospital-onset bacteremia and fungemia (HOB) and its staggering clinical and financial costs.

In fact, patients with SSIs are six times more likely to develop bacteremia or fungemia while in the hospital, according to an analysis of SSI admissions at 38 acute care hospitals reported to the National