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Each year in the European Union, approximately 4 million patients acquire an infection in hospital and approximately 37 000 of them die as a direct result.

Surgical site infections are among the most common healthcare-associated infections, associated with longer postoperative hospital stay, additional surgical procedures or stay in an intensive care unit, and often higher mortality.

Each year in the European Union, approximately four million patients acquire healthcare-associated infections and 37 000 of them die as a result.

This report presents the results of surveillance of surgical site infections in participating European countries for 2010–2011. The number of reported operations increased and three countries reported data for the first time in 2011.

This protocol is to ensure standardisation of definitions, data collection and reporting procedures for hospitals participating in the national/regional surveillance of surgical site infections across Europe.