Risk of surgical site infection in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery

This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with surgical site infections in orthopedic surgical patients at a public hospital in Minas Gerais, Brazil, between 2005 and 2007. A historical cohort of 3,543 patients submitted to orthopedic surgical procedures. A descriptive analysis was conducted and surgical site infection incidence rates were estimated. To verify the association between infection and risk factors, the Chi-square Test was used. The strength of association of the event with the independent variables was estimated using Relative Risk, with a 95% confidence interval and p<0.05. The incidence of surgical site infection was 1.8%. Potential surgical wound contamination, clinical conditions, time and type of surgical procedure were statistically associated with infection. Identifying the association between surgical site infection and these risk factors is important and contributes to nurses' clinical practice.