Risk factors for surgical site infections in obstetrics: a retrospective study in an Ethiopian referral hospital

Pregnant women are at risk of infection during labor and delivery. Infection in obstetrics accounts for the second most common cause of maternal mortality next to post partum hemorrhage. Knowing the prevalence and associated risk factors would help to undertake optimal precautions and standard surgical techniques to reduce surgical site infection which poses increased hospital cost and total hospital stay of the patients.

Facility based retrospective observational study design was carried out purposively to assess the prevalence of surgical site infections and associated risk factors among mothers who had delivery related surgery at obstetric ward of Assela teaching referral hospital from April, 23, 2015 to September 5, 2015. A total of 384 women who had surgery for delivery were included in the study. The risk associated with SSIs was assessed by multivariate regression logistic analysis.

The age of the women ranged from 17 to 40 years with the mean age of 26 (±5) years. The rate of surgical site infection was 9.4%(36/384). The risk factors for surgical site infection were age less than 19 (OR = 3.5, 95%CI 1.17-10.01), preterm gestation age (OR = 4.225 95%CI 1.254-14.238), duration of labor ≥24 h (OR = 2.219 95%CI1.054-4.670), duration of rupture of membrane ≥12 h (OR = 5.99, 95% CI2.75-13.02),chorioamnionitis (OR = 9.743, 95%CI 3.077-30.848), vertical skin incision(OR = 4,95%CI 1.709-13.322), pre operation Hematocrit (OR = 6.4,95%CI1.021-40.137),perioperative blood transfusion(OR = 6.75,95%CI 2.47,18.49), abdominal hysterectomy(OR = 7.9,95%CI1.698-36.960), and diabetic mellitus (OR = 3.7,95%CI 1.112-12.519).

Obstetric ward of Assela teaching referral hospital are encouraged to use properly WHO surgical safety checklist and examine how to sensibly integrate these essential safety steps into their normal operative workflow. Prophylactic antibiotic administration should be provided within one hour before the surgical incision or within two hours if the patient is receiving vancomycin or floroquinolones.