OBJECTIVE To retrospectively investigate the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI), distribution and drug resistance of pathogens in 53 hospitals of Suzhou area from 2020 to 2023 so as to provide strategies for prevention and control of the hospital-associated infections in Suzhou area.

METHODS The data regarding the SSI, distribution and drug resistance of pathogens were statistically analyzed through Suzhou City Regional Hospital Infection Surveillance Platform.

RESULTS The incidence of SSI was 0.24% among the 53 hospitals from 2020 to 2023. Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecium and Staphylococcus haemolyticus ranked the top 5 species of gram-positive bacteria; Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae and Acinetobacter baumannii ranked the top 5 species of gram-negative bacteria. There were significant differences in the distributions of S.aureus, K.pneumoniae and A.baumannii in the superficial, deep and organ cavities (P < 0.05). The isolation rate of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) was 69.23%, and the isolation rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was 42.14%. The drug resistance rate of the S. aureus strains to oxacillin reached up to 40.24%; the drug resistance rates of the A. baumannii to imipenem and meropenem reached up 63.00% and 65.80%, respectively. The drug resistance rates of the K. pneumoniae strains to imipenem and meropenem approximated to 30%, and the drug resistance rate to tigecycline was 19.84%.

CONCLUSIONS The total incidence of SSI shows a downward trend in the 53 hospitals of Suzhou area. The S. aureus is the major species of pathogens, and some of the pathogens show high drug resistance rates.