Postoperative Sepsis A serious infection of the bloodstream caused by toxin-producing bacteria, known as sepsis, can occur after surgery. This measure indicates the occurrence of infections acquired during a stay at a hospital. There are protocols developed intending to prevent postoperative sepsis, among them the Surgical Infection Prevention system (SIP). This process ensures that the appropriate antibiotic is given to the patient one hour before surgery, and that the antibiotic is discontinued within 24 hours following surgery. Other protocols published by the Centers for Disease Control also intend to reduce the chance of infection after surgery. This patient safety measure is important because it indicates the level of care provided to prevent infections in patients. Analysis of these infections may provide a screen for potential medical errors and a method for monitoring trends in infections over time. Hospitals following the appropriate protocols, (such as SIP, or patterns of cleanliness, such as washing hands before working with a patient), should see improvement in the trend of post-operative sepsis or other infections over time. Care must be taken to exclude patients from this measure who have infections when they enter the hospital, as this does not reflect quality of care delivered at the facility.
State total cases at risk: 19,675 State risk-adjusted occurrence rate: 1.205% National rate: 1.370% (*)	There are 89 hospitals in this table.

Click here for instructions on interpreting this graph For technical information on the relationship between the indicator and quality of health care services, go to the AHRQ detailed evidence on Postoperative Sepsis: HTML or DOC. NOTE Graph below is reported in percentages (i.e., rate per 100).
	=	Better than state average
	=	At the state average
	=	Worse than state average

	0%	2%	4%	6%	8%	10%	12%	14%	16%	18%	20%
	State Avg.
	Asotin
	Clarkston
	Tri-State Memorial Hospital(53 : 0.000% , 2.551%)(0.000%)
	Tri-State Memorial Hospital(<5 : )
	Benton
	Kennewick
	Kennewick General Hospital(54 : 0.000% , 3.195%)(0.000%)
	Prosser
	Prosser Memorial Hospital(13 : )
	Richland
	Kadlec Medical Center(349 : 0.623% , 2.436%)(1.530%)
	Chelan
	Chelan
	Lake Chelan Community Hospital(<5 : )
	Wenatchee
	Central Washington Hospital(311 : 0.000% , 1.497%)(0.335%)
	Wenatchee Valley Hospital(13 : )
	Clallam
	Forks
	Forks Community Hospital(6 : )
	Port Angeles
	Olympic Medical Center(70 : 0.000% , 2.629%)(0.000%)
	Clark
	Vancouver
	Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital(<5 : )
	Southwest Washington Medical Center(717 : 0.171% , 1.773%)(0.972%)
	Cowlitz
	Longview
	PeaceHealth Saint John Medical Center(420 : 0.000% , 1.739%)(0.644%)
	Franklin
	Pasco
	Lourdes Medical Center(150 : 0.000% , 3.046%)(1.041%)
	Lourdes Medical Center(5 : )
	Grant
	Moses Lake
	Samaritan Hospital(66 : 0.000% , 3.052%)(0.000%)
	Grays Harbor
	Aberdeen
	Grays Harbor Community Hospital(123 : 0.000% , 2.783%)(0.000%)
	Island
	Coupeville
	Whidbey General Hospital(41 : 0.000% , 4.551%)(1.834%)
	Jefferson
	Port Townsend
	Jefferson Hospital(31 : 0.325% , 9.149%)(4.737%)
	King
	Auburn
	Auburn Regional Medical Center(112 : 2.354% , 6.663%)(4.509%)
	Auburn Regional Medical Center(<5 : )
	Bellevue
	Overlake Hospital Medical Center(742 : 1.229% , 2.623%)(1.926%)
	Burien
	Highline Community Hospital(161 : 1.229% , 4.675%)(2.952%)
	Highline Community Hospital(<5 : )
	Enumclaw
	Enumclaw Community Hospital(21 : )
	Federal Way
	Saint Francis Hospital(148 : 0.000% , 3.427%)(1.646%)
	Kirkland
	Evergreen Hospital Medical Center(402 : 1.120% , 3.392%)(2.256%)
	Evergreen Hospital Medical Center(<5 : )
	Redmond
	Group Health Eastside Hospital(227 : 0.000% , 1.906%)(0.494%)
	Renton
	Valley Medical Center(416 : 0.113% , 2.333%)(1.223%)
	Seattle
	Childrens Hospital & Regional Medical Cente..(25 : )
	Harborview Medical Center(657 : 0.509% , 2.330%)(1.419%)
	Harborview Medical Center(<5 : )
	Northwest Hospital(381 : 0.160% , 1.949%)(1.055%)
	Northwest Hospital(9 : )
	Northwest Hospital(<5 : )
	Swedish Medical Center(2085 : 0.871% , 1.964%)(1.418%)
	Swedish Providence Medical Center(835 : 0.761% , 2.258%)(1.509%)
	Swedish Providence Medical Center(<5 : )
	University Of Washington Medical Center(991 : 0.731% , 2.049%)(1.390%)
	University Of Washington Medical Center(<5 : )
	Virginia Mason Medical Center(962 : 0.444% , 1.556%)(1.000%)
	Virginia Mason Medical Center(8 : )
	Snoqualmie
	Snoqualmie Valley Hospital(<5 : )
	Kitsap
	Bremerton
	Harrison Memorial Hospital(653 : 0.000% , 1.840%)(0.889%)
	Kittitas
	Ellensburg
	Kittitas Valley Hospital(31 : 0.000% , 5.564%)(0.000%)
	Klickitat
	White Salmon
	Skyline Hospital(<5 : )
	Lewis
	Centralia
	Providence Centralia Hospital(169 : 0.000% , 1.744%)(0.000%)
	Morton
	Morton General Hospital(<5 : )
	Lincoln
	Davenport
	Lincoln Hospital(8 : )
	Mason
	Shelton
	Mason General Hospital(30 : 0.000% , 3.593%)(0.000%)
	Okanogan
	Brewster
	Okanogan-Douglas Hospital(16 : )
	Omak
	Mid-Valley Hospital(91 : 0.000% , 2.473%)(0.000%)
	Pacific
	Ilwaco
	Ocean Beach Hospital(12 : )
	Pierce
	Puyallup
	Good Samaritan Hospital(212 : 0.900% , 2.851%)(1.875%)
	Good Samaritan Hospital(<5 : )
	Tacoma
	Mary Bridge Children's Hospital & Health Ce..(<5 : )
	Saint Clare Hospital(244 : 0.041% , 2.597%)(1.319%)
	Saint Joseph Medical Center(1105 : 0.484% , 1.494%)(0.989%)
	Saint Joseph Medical Center(<5 : )
	Tacoma General Hospital(786 : 1.628% , 3.019%)(2.324%)
	Skagit
	Anacortes
	Island Hospital(100 : 0.000% , 2.998%)(1.028%)
	Mt Vernon
	Skagit Valley Hospital(204 : 0.000% , 2.422%)(1.011%)
	Skagit Valley Hospital(<5 : )
	Sedro Wolley
	United General Hospital(5 : )
	Snohomish
	Arlington
	Cascade Valley Hospital(22 : )
	Edmonds
	Stevens Healthcare(130 : 0.000% , 1.701%)(0.000%)
	Everett
	Providence Everett Medical Center(752 : 1.380% , 2.957%)(2.169%)
	Providence Everett Medical Center(<5 : )
	Monroe
	Valley General Hospital(57 : 0.000% , 5.901%)(2.615%)
	Spokane
	Spokane
	Deaconess Medical Center(678 : 0.000% , 1.346%)(0.513%)
	Holy Family Hospital(309 : 0.000% , 1.729%)(0.427%)
	Sacred Heart Medical Center(1280 : 0.251% , 1.318%)(0.784%)
	Saint Luke's Rehabilitation Institute(5 : )
	Valley Hospital and Medical Center(115 : 0.159% , 4.249%)(2.204%)
	Stevens
	Colville
	Mount Carmel Hospital(<5 : )
	Thurston
	Olympia
	Capital Medical Center(194 : 0.071% , 2.780%)(1.425%)
	Providence Saint Peter Hospital(490 : 0.000% , 1.140%)(0.211%)
	Providence Saint Peter Hospital(<5 : )
	Walla Walla
	Walla Walla
	Saint Mary Medical Center(124 : 0.000% , 1.704%)(0.467%)
	Walla Walla General Hospital(51 : 0.000% , 2.789%)(0.000%)
	Whatcom
	Bellingham
	Saint Joseph Hospital(417 : 0.525% , 2.285%)(1.405%)
	Whitman
	Colfax
	Whitman Hospital & Medical Center(31 : 0.000% , 5.025%)(0.000%)
	Pullman
	Pullman Regional Hospital(56 : 0.000% , 4.107%)(0.000%)
	Yakima
	Sunnyside
	Sunnyside Community Hospital(11 : )
	Toppenish
	Toppenish Community Hospital(<5 : )
	Yakima
	Yakima Regional Medical & Heart Center(359 : 0.750% , 2.563%)(1.656%)
	Yakima Regional Medical & Heart Center(<5 : )
	Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital(276 : 0.000% , 1.859%)(0.000%)

**NOTE** Evidence from CA and NY data suggests that the rate of false positives for PSI 7(Infections Due to Medical Care) and PSI 13(Postoperative Sepsis) is relatively consistent across hospitals, meaning that the hospital risk-adjusted rates calculated with and without present on admission (POA) data are positively correlated (.85-.90 for PSI 7; .71-.80 for PSI 13). So while these indicators are more subject to mis-identifying cases without POA than some of the other indicators (and in the cases of Sepsis more subject to variability in physician documentation of Sepsis), the evidence cited above suggests that the indicators still provide potentially useful information and AHRQ supports their use.


*Source of national rates: National Healthcare Quality & Disparities Reports (NHQRDR) - 2005 - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Nationwide Inpatient Sample and AHRQ Quality Indicators, version 3.1.