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A study of surgical site infections in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Health care-associated infections remain as an important public health concern. Surgical site infections (SSIs) are known to be one of the most common causes of nosocomial infections worldwide.Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted across 12 months (May 2018-April 2019) in a tertiary care hospital. The present study includes 223 patients who were undergoing clean and clean contaminated surgery in the hospital. Contaminated and dirty surgeries were excluded. The demographic data of the patient, diagnostic criteria used, associated risk factors, use of prophylactic antimicrobial agents, the type and duration of surgery, clinical evaluation of wound and laboratory data was collected. All the pus samples or wound swabs of clinically suspects of SSI cases received in the Department of Microbiology were inoculated and interpreted according to Centre for Disease Control and Infection guidelines.Results: The study included 223 patients who underwent surgery in the hospital. Amongst them 9 (4%) developed SSI. The incidence of SSI was 4.03%. There was a direct relationship observed between the occurrence of SSI and certain co-morbid conditions such as diabetes. It was also observed that prolonged surgeries above two hours and females were more predisposed to develop a surgical site infection.Conclusions: SSIs being one of the most common causes of nosocomial infections. It was also the most important factor responsible for significant morbidity, mortality, unwanted prolonged hospitalization and additional cost of treatment in surgical patients which can be reduced by strictly following the guidelines of infection control along with judicious and rational use of antibiotics.