SURGICAL SITE INFECTIONS (SSI)

Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine the frequency ofpost-caesarean SSI and determine the frequency of factors leading to post-caesarean SSI.Study design: Descriptive case series. Setting and duration: Department of Obstetrics &Gynaecology, District Headquarters Teaching hospital, Rawalpindi from June 2015 to Nov2015. Materials and methods: Through non-probability consecutive sampling, 180 patientswho have undergone caesarean section who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were enrolled in thestudy. The data was collected manually on a formatted proforma. All patients suspected ofhaving SSI within 30 days of CS were identified for any pre-operative factors leading to theirSSI. Suspected SSI was confirmed by Culture testing of wound swabs, prior to commencementof an antibiotic treatment or as soon as the diagnosis was suspected. Data was analyzed usingSPSS version 20. Results: Of the 180 patients, 8 suffered from SSI (4.4%). The average agefor the patients was 25.42±3.68 years. The operations were elective in 38.9% of the cases and61.1% were urgent. On data analysis, Diabetes, Anaemia and emergency CS were significantlyassociated with SSI with a p-value less than 0.05. Conclusion: SSI continues to be a significantpost-operative complication. A thorough assessment of risk factors that predispose to SSI andtheir prevention may help in reduction of SSI rates. We recommend that above mentionedfactors to be taken into consideration before planning obstetrical surgeries. Prevention of theseinfections should be a clinical and public health priority.