Clinical study on surgical site infections in a tertiary care hospital

Introduction. Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in postoperative patients, but it is preventable in some cases. Our aim is to study the prevalence of surgical site infections and to determine the risk factors that influence the rate of SSI in a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods. This is an observational study conducted in the department of general surgery, Mayo Institute of Medical Sciences, Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, from July 2021 to June 2022. Results. The present study includes 59 men and 34 women. Out of 93 patients, most patients were in the age group of 40-50 years. In our study, there was a 3.722-fold higher probability of developing SSI in patients with comorbidities. Emergency surgery also has a 7.187 times higher risk of developing SSI than elective surgery. The prevalence in this study of SSI was 8.60%; of 8 patients, only 1 developed SSI on deep incision. Conclusion. The following conclusions/ recommendations emerged from this study: reducing the duration of surgical procedures by adopting appropriate techniques and early resumption of patient mobilization. Judicious use of drains is also recommended, paying more attention in emergency operations and/or with a high risk of contamination.