Surgical Site Infections (SSI) and factors associated in a private tertiary care teaching hospital in Raichur, Karnataka, India
Background: Prevention of Surgical site infection (SSI) remains a focus of attention because wound infections continue to be a major source of expense, morbidity, and even mortality. Three quarters of deaths of surgical patients with SSIs are attributed to nosocomial infections, nearly all of which are organ/space infections. The objective of the present study was to estimate the incidence of SSI and to study the various risk factors associated with SSI.Methods: This is a prospective study of 180 eligible cases eligible subjects, who underwent various surgeries in the department of General Surgery after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study conducted at the Navodaya Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Raichur. The tenure for the study was April 2017 to June 2017. Data was collected using pretested proforma. Data was analysed using SPSS version 16. Chi -square test and multiple logistic regression was applied to know the association between various risk factors and occurrence of SSI.Results: Among 180 patients 33 (18.33%) developed surgical site infections (SSI). Among 33 SSIs 25 (75.76%) were grade 3 and 8 (24.24%) were grade 4 infections. SSIs were found more commonly among patients over 50 years, diabetics, HIV infected patients, patients with longer duration of surgery and associations with these factors were found statistically significant.Conclusions: The incidence rate of SSI was quite high, and its end results will have a greater impact on patients as well as on healthcare systems. Prevention of SSI requires multipronged approach targeting both patient related and procedure related risk factors in pre- operative, intra-operative, and post-operative period.