ArticleDeutsches Arzteblatt international2019
The Association of Climatic Factors with Rates of Surgical Site Infections: 17 Years' Data From Hospital Infection Surveillance.
Article in Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 24 citations in OpenAlex.
- Impact of climatic variables on postoperative outcomes in various surgical disciplines: a systematic review.BMJ open · 2026Pooled it
- Environmental Determinants of Surgical Site Infections in Abdominal Surgeries: A Scoping Review of Evidence from East Africa.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2026Review
- The Association of Season of Surgery and Patient Reported Outcomes following Total Hip Arthroplasty.Geriatric orthopaedic surgery & rehabilitation · 2024Article
- [Bacterial infections of the skin in the context of climate change and migration].Dermatologie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2023Review
- Antimicrobial resistance in Germany and Europe - A systematic review on the increasing threat accelerated by climate change.Journal of health monitoring · 2023Article
- Surgical site infection surveillance in German hospitals: a national survey to determine the status quo of digitalization.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2023Article
- [Climate change and (surgical) health in context].Chirurgie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2023Review
- COVID-19, Monkeypox, climate change and surgery: A syndemic undermines the right to be operated in a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.Perioperative care and operating room management · 2023Article
- Age as a risk factor for surgical site infections: German surveillance data on total hip replacement and total knee replacement procedures 2009 to 2018.Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2023Article
- A Qualitative Study on Concerns, Needs, and Expectations of Hospital Patients Related to Climate Change: Arguments for a Patient-Centered Adaptation.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Bacterial diversity and inflammatory response at first-time visit in younger and older individuals with diabetic foot infection (DFI).Acta diabetologica · 2021Article
- Article
- Health effects of heating, ventilation and air conditioning on hospital patients: a scoping review.BMC public health · 2020Article
- Global Warming-the German Picture.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2019Article
- Impact of climate change on surgery: A scoping review to define existing knowledge and identify gaps.The journal of climate change and healthArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSurgical site infections (SSI) are among the most common healthcare- associated infections. The aim of our explorative study was to determine how selected climatic factors are associated with SSI rates.
methodsSSI rates were calculated for operative procedures included in the surgi- cal site infection surveillance component (OP-KISS) of the German Nosocomial Infection Surveillance System (Krankenhaus-Infektions-Surveillance-System, KISS) during the years from 2000 to 2016. The surgeries were associated with department-related and patient-related data. Data of the German Meteorological Service (Deutscher Wetterdienst, DWD), including outdoor temperature and rainfall, were used to analyze the association between climatic factors and rates of SSI. Analyses focused on temperature which showed strong correlations with other climatic parameters. A descriptive analysis was performed, using the chi-squared test. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) were calculated for SSI rates in relation to tem- perature, using a multivariable logistic regression model.
resultsFor the altogether 2 004 793 included operative procedures, 32 118 SSIs were documented. Temperatures ≥ 20 °C were associated with a significantly higher occurrence of SSI compared to temperatures <5 °C (AOR: 1.13; 95% confi- dence intervals [1.06; 1.20]). This increase was found for gram-positive pathogens (AOR: 1.13 [1.03; 1.23]) and, even more pronounced, for gram-negative pathogens (AOR: 1.20 [1.07; 1.35]). The association was strongest for superficial SSI caused by gram-negative pathogens (AOR: 1.38 [1.16; 1.64]).
conclusionAn association between climatic factors and SSI rates was demon- strated. The predicted rise in global temperatures by up to 4 °C by the end of this century compared to preindustrial levels may increase the likelihood of SSI and should be taken into consideration in future preventive strategies.
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