Do the Severity of Peritonitis and Stoma Creation Influence the Occurrence of Incisional Surgical Site Infections in Patients With Colorectal Perforation?

Objective To identify the risk factors for incisional surgical site infection (SSI) in patients undergoing emergency surgery for colorectal perforation. Summary of Background Data Emergency surgery for colorectal perforation carries an especially high risk of incisional SSI. Although the risk factors of incisional SSI after colorectal surgery have been analyzed, no study has focused exclusively on patients with colorectal perforation. Methods Patients with colorectal perforation who underwent emergent surgery from 2010 to 2015 were enrolled. The factors associated with the occurrence of postoperative incisional SSI were evaluated. Results We enrolled 108 patients with colorectal perforation who underwent an emergency operation. Of these, 13 patients who died within 30 days after surgery were excluded. The mean age of the 95 study patients was 70 ± 13 years; 48 (51%) patients were male. The incisional SSI group comprised 26 patients (27%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that stoma creation [odds ratio: 11.34; 95% confidence interval: 2.06–214.14] was an independent risk factor for incisional SSI. However, none of the clinical indicators of severe peritonitis and sepsis, including body temperature, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, preoperative white blood cell count, and C-reactive protein, were associated with the occurrence of incisional SSI. Conclusions Stoma creation was an independent risk factor for postoperative incisional SSI. Therefore, in this patient population, meticulous postoperative wound management is essential.