Surgical Site Infection in Obstetric and Gynecological Surgeries: A Prospective Observational Study.

ABSTRACT

Introduction An infection at an incisional site that develops within 30 days after surgery, or within a year if a prosthetic is implanted, is referred to as a surgical site infection (SSI). They are mainly caused by exogenous and/or endogenous microbes that penetrate the surgical site during surgery (primary infection) or after the procedure (secondary infection). The prevention of SSI should be the ultimate goal of the surgery team and hospital administration. Methodology The prospective observational study of SSI consisted of 920 patients who were admitted and underwent surgery between April 2021 and September 2022. After a complete examination, a detailed proforma for the collection of data pertaining to patients in this study was prepared, and patients were included as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results The study demonstrated significant results in terms of the association of body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin, and blood sugar level with the SSI status (p<0.05) and nonsignificant results in terms of emergency/elective surgery, type of surgery, and type of incision (p>0.05). Conclusion The overall rate of SSI was 9.2% in the present study. The major reasons involved are inadequate infrastructure facilities, different antibiotics policies, and non-uniform pre-, intra-, and post-operative measures that add woes and result in an increased incidence of SSI. In the present study that was undertaken at a teaching and tertiary care center, the SSI incidence is comparatively lower, but with the implementation of correct knowledge and technique, the rate can further be reduced to a large extent.