A comparison of surgical site infections following total hip replacement and total knee replacement surgeries identified by Infection Prevention and Control and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program in Alberta, Canada.

Different approaches to monitor SSIs may lead to different results and trending patterns. NSQIP reports total SSI rates that are consistently higher than IPC. If systems are compared at any point in time, confidence on the data may be eroded. Stakeholders need to be aware of these variations and education provided to facilitate an understanding of differences and a consistent approach to SSI surveillance monitoring over time.