What to know about surgical site infections

A surgical site infection is an infection that develops where a surgeon cut, in the days and weeks after an operation. Clinicians sort these infections by depth. Some stay in the skin and the fat just under the incision. Others reach the muscle layer and its covering. A third kind sits in the organ or space that was operated on, such as a joint or the abdomen. Depth matters because it shapes the treatment: a shallow infection may be handled by opening part of the incision and giving antibiotics, while a deep one can mean another procedure. Whatever the depth, the surgical team makes the diagnosis and directs treatment. Wound follow-up is what comes next, the regular checking and dressing of the incision while it recovers.

What an assessment covers

The wound is only part of the assessment. The treating clinician also asks about pain, appetite, bowel changes since the antibiotic began, and how well you are moving around. Temperature and pulse are noted. If the incision is on the abdomen, the clinician considers strain from coughing or lifting. If it is on a leg, swelling and circulation get attention. The clinician then decides who should hear about what, such as the surgeon for a suspected deep pocket or the primary care clinician for poor eating and drinking. The plan names what will be checked at each visit and what result would prompt a call.

Wound follow-up after a surgical site infection in St. Clair County

Crossing a bridge for every wound check is a lot to ask of someone in St. Clair County with an open, draining incision. When the surgeon is in Missouri, home or facility visits on the Illinois side can reduce those trips, with the treating clinician’s findings sent to the surgeon between rechecks. Home health agencies and supply vendors also differ by state and by plan. Gateway confirms the treating provider and your coverage first, whether that is Illinois Medicaid or a Missouri-based plan, so dressing orders and any pump or equipment go through channels your plan recognizes.

A visit in St. Clair County might be to a brick house in Belleville, a ranch home in Swansea, an apartment in East St. Louis, a newer subdivision in O’Fallon or Shiloh, or a farmhouse outside Freeburg. It might also be to an assisted living community, a memory care unit, a rehabilitation center or a skilled nursing facility. Gateway arranges care with partner clinicians in each setting. We ask who is involved in the patient’s daily care, coordinate timing with that person or with facility staff, and get records and orders to the treating clinician ahead of the visit.

At home between visits

Most of the work with an infected incision happens on the days nobody visits. Someone has to change the dressing as ordered, notice what the old one looks like and keep track of how you feel. Many families keep a simple notebook by the supplies: the date, how much drainage was on the dressing, the temperature if the clinician asked for it, and any questions. That record makes each visit more useful. If changing a deep dressing is more than a spouse or adult child can manage, tell us. Gateway can ask the treating clinician about a home health referral so a nurse shares the load.

In a facility

Many people who develop a surgical site infection are already in a skilled nursing or rehabilitation center, recovering from a joint replacement, a hip repair or abdominal surgery. There, facility nurses change the dressing and take vital signs, and the attending physician oversees medical care. The treating wound clinician adds a focused wound exam at each visit, writes or recommends orders according to the facility’s process, and talks with the nurses who see the incision every day. Gateway arranges those visits with the facility and routes the clinician’s notes to the surgeon, so the three teams are reading the same record.

Signs to tell the clinician about

An infection that was settling can flare again, and the first clues are not always at the incision. Tell the treating clinician or the surgical team promptly about:

  • A temperature above the level your surgeon told you to report
  • Shaking chills or drenching sweats
  • Pain that climbs after days of easing
  • Nausea, poor appetite or unusual tiredness that is new
  • Blood sugar readings running higher than usual, if you check them

Call 911 if the person becomes confused, is hard to wake, breathes fast or with effort, has a racing heartbeat, or faints. Those signs can mean the infection is spreading through the body.

Primary care and overall health

A new antibiotic joins whatever else you take, and the combination deserves a look. Some antibiotics change how other medicines act, blood thinners among them, and some are cleared by the kidneys, which matters for older adults. Pain medicine after surgery can cause constipation and drowsiness, and steroids or other immune-suppressing drugs can slow wound healing. Sorting this out is primary care work. A primary care clinician can review the full list, including what the hospital added or stopped, and raise concerns with the surgeon or prescriber. When Gateway arranges both kinds of care, the wound clinician’s findings reach the clinician reviewing the medicines.

Primary care at home in St. Clair County →

Arranging wound follow-up after a surgical site infection in St. Clair County

To arrange wound follow-up after a surgical site infection in St. Clair County, call Gateway at 314-325-0126. Patients, family members and caregivers can call directly, and a referral is not required. We will ask where the patient lives, what has been done for the wound so far and which clinicians are involved. Gateway then confirms whether a partner clinician is available for that address and care setting, requests the relevant records and schedules the visit. At that visit the treating clinician examines the wound and decides on the plan. Our job from then on is the coordination: orders, supplies, follow-up visits and keeping the care team informed.

St. Clair County requests start with the town and ZIP code, since Belleville alone has several. Keep the patient’s phone number, medication list, insurance card and doctors’ names nearby when you call. Gateway arranges care in Belleville, O’Fallon, Fairview Heights and neighboring Collinsville, and across the wider Metro East. The county runs from city blocks near the river to open farmland in the east, and availability is confirmed for each location and care setting before a visit is scheduled.

  • County: St. Clair County, Illinois
  • ZIP codes: 62220, 62221, 62223, 62226, 62269, 62208, 62258, 62254
  • Nearby hospitals: Memorial Hospital Belleville; Memorial Hospital Shiloh; HSHS St. Elizabeth's Hospital in O'Fallon, Illinois; Touchette Regional Hospital in Cahokia Heights (not affiliated with Gateway)
  • Nearby communities: Belleville, Illinois, O'Fallon, Illinois, Fairview Heights, Collinsville, Metro East
  • Care settings: Private homes, skilled nursing, assisted living, memory care and rehabilitation

Related care in St. Clair County

Read the full guide to surgical site infections, or see everything Gateway arranges on the mobile wound care in St. Clair County page.

Common questions

Does Gateway arrange surgical site infection follow-up in nursing and rehabilitation facilities in St. Clair County?

Gateway arranges wound visits in skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation centers, assisted living and memory care, as well as private homes. In a facility, the treating clinician works with the nursing staff and the attending physician under the facility’s own procedures. Facility staff or family can contact us to ask whether a partner clinician is available at a particular building in St. Clair County.

Is a surgical site infection contagious to the people I live with?

Ordinary contact such as sitting together or sharing a meal is generally not a concern. Bacteria can spread through direct contact with wound drainage or used dressings. The usual precautions are washing hands before and after touching the dressing, bagging used materials and not sharing towels. If the culture showed a resistant type of bacteria, or someone at home has a weak immune system, ask the treating clinician whether more steps are needed.

Should I keep my surgeon appointments if a wound clinician is already visiting?

Yes. Wound visits add to the surgeon’s care and do not replace it. The surgeon decides about antibiotics, further procedures, closing the wound and when you can return to normal activity. The treating clinician’s notes can make those appointments more productive, because the surgeon sees how the wound has changed since the last check. If getting to the office is the obstacle, tell us when you call.

A home health nurse already visits my relative in St. Clair County. Should I still call Gateway?

You can. Tell us which agency is involved and who ordered the service. Gateway coordinates communication among the care team, so the treating clinician’s assessment and orders reach the nurse who is carrying out day-to-day care. The clinicians decide how their roles fit together. Our part is making sure records, orders and supply requests move between them.

General information to help you talk with your own clinician. It is not medical advice, and the treating clinician makes every clinical decision. For a medical emergency, call 911.