Among all hospitalized patients, surgical site infections (SSI) are the third most frequently hospital-acquired-infection. SSIs remain a substantial cause of morbidity and mortality among surgical patients. This may be partially explained by the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens and the increased numbers of patients who are elderly and/or have a wide variety of chronic, debilitating, or immunocompromising underlying diseases. This is why it is essential to implement SSI prevention measures. In April 1999 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) presented the "Guideline for Prevention of Surgical Site Infection". The recommendations represent the consensus of the Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) regarding strategies for the prevention of SSIs. Whenever possible, the recommendations are based on data from well-designed scientific studies. This guideline is a major step forward and is also essential to optimize the management of surgical patients in Germany.