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Surgical site infection definitions consensus: a first step toward improving prevention in veterinary medicine.
Abstract: To establish specific veterinary surgical site infection (SSI) terminology to support the creation of consistent, comparable, and repeatable clinical and research datasets. Unassigned: Establishment of SSI definitions by iterative Delphi questionnaires leading to a convergence of consensus opinion by a multidisciplinary panel of 32 specialists in large- and small-animal surgery (European College of Veterinary Surgeons, American College of Veterinary Surgeons), veterinary internal medicine (American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, European College of Equine Internal Medicine), anesthesia (European College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia), critical care (American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, European College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care), dentistry (European Veterinary Dental College), microbiology, preventive medicine (American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine), animal welfare (European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine), and human infection control. Consensus was defined as agreement by a minimum of 75% of panel members. Unassigned: The panel defined 18 terms for veterinary use, including those for superficial, deep, and organ/space infections; surgical procedure; pyrexia; wound classification and closure; and agreements on SSI monitoring timeframes. Unassigned: A common clinical and research language appropriate to the veterinary field useable in future SSI surveillance practice has been established through expert consensus. Unassigned: The use of a standard SSI language in veterinary practice is central to the future reliability of studies, their comparison, and the understanding of clinical risk factors in the development and prevention of SSI.
Publication Date: 2025-12-17 PubMed ID: 41406594DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.25.03.0099Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Consensus Statement
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
Overview
- This research established standardized definitions and terminology for surgical site infections (SSIs) in veterinary medicine.
- The goal was to create consistent language to improve prevention, surveillance, and research related to SSIs in animals.
Purpose of the Study
- To develop specific veterinary SSI terminology.
- To support the creation of consistent, comparable, and repeatable clinical and research datasets related to SSIs.
- To aid in prevention strategies by standardizing how SSIs are defined and recorded.
Methodology
- An iterative Delphi process was used—a structured method for achieving consensus among experts through multiple rounds of questionnaires.
- The multidisciplinary expert panel consisted of 32 specialists spanning various veterinary specialties, including:
- Large- and small-animal surgery (European and American Colleges of Veterinary Surgeons)
- Veterinary internal medicine (European and American Colleges of Veterinary Internal Medicine, and Equine Internal Medicine)
- Anesthesia (European College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia)
- Critical care (American and European Colleges of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care)
- Dentistry (European Veterinary Dental College)
- Microbiology and preventive medicine (American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine)
- Animal welfare and behavior (European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine)
- Human infection control specialists to provide comparative insights
- Consensus was considered achieved when at least 75% of panel members agreed on a term or definition.
Key Outcomes
- A set of 18 standardized terms was defined specifically for veterinary surgical site infections, covering:
- Types of infections: superficial, deep, and organ/space infections
- Surgical procedure terminology related to SSIs
- Clinical signs such as pyrexia (fever)
- Classification of wounds and terminology for wound closure
- Agreed upon timeframes for monitoring SSIs after surgery
Significance and Implications
- The consensus-generated terminology creates a unified clinical and research language tailored for veterinary use.
- Standardized definitions enable reliable SSI surveillance, facilitating consistent data collection and reporting across veterinary practices and studies.
- This uniform language will improve the reliability and comparability of research findings related to SSIs in animals.
- It supports better identification and understanding of clinical risk factors contributing to SSIs.
- The ultimate benefit lies in enhancing strategies for SSI prevention, potentially improving outcomes in veterinary surgery and animal care.
Cite This Article
APA
Verwilghen DR, Pelosi A, Abbas M, Allerton F, Archer D, Baxter G, Brehm W, Burgess BA, Dallap-Schaer B, Ferreira J, Isgren C, Harbarth S, Jacobsen S, Jørgensen ELK, Kuemmerle J, Kampf G, Norris J, Morley PS, Martens A, Mayhew PD, Nolff MC, Quain A, Richardson D, Runge J, Singh A, Southwood L, Thieman KM, van Galen G, Vilen A, Weese JS, Williams J, Hendrickson D.
(2025).
Surgical site infection definitions consensus: a first step toward improving prevention in veterinary medicine.
Am J Vet Res, 87(3), ajvr.25.03.0099.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.25.03.0099 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital, Melbourne Veterinary School, University of Melbourne, Congupna, Victoria, Australia.
- Veterinary Heart Institute, Jupiter, FL.
- Infection Control Program and WHO Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety, University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Willows Veterinary Centre & Referral Service, West Midlands, United Kingdom.
- Institute of Infection & Global Health/Institute of Veterinary Clinical Studies, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, United Kingdom.
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA.
- Department for Horses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
- Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA.
- Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Centre, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, PA.
- Willows Veterinary Centre & Referral Service, West Midlands, United Kingdom.
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
- Infection Control Program, University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Section of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand Sauerbruch Straße, Greifswald, Germany.
- University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand Sauerbruch Straße, Greifswald, Germany.
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- VERO Program, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX.
- Department of Large Animal Surgery, Anesthesia, and Orthopedics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
- Department of Veterinary Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA.
- Clinic of Small Animal Surgery, VetSuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Centre, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, PA.
- Guardian Veterinary Specialists, Brewster, NY.
- Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Centre, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, PA.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital, Melbourne Veterinary School, University of Melbourne, Congupna, Victoria, Australia.
- AniCura Landskrona Smådjursklinik, Föreningsgatan, Sweden.
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
- VetsNow Referral Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Consensus
- Delphi Technique
- Surgical Wound Infection / veterinary
- Surgical Wound Infection / prevention & control
- Surgical Wound Infection / classification
- Terminology as Topic
- Veterinary Medicine / standards
- Veterinary Medicine / methods
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Trębacz P, Pawlik M, Kurkowska A, Wilk K, Piątek A, Czopowicz M. Low-Temperature Plasma Activation of Biomaterials and Its Stability over Time and Post-Sterilisation Effects.. Materials (Basel) 2026 Feb 6;19(3).
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