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Assessment of Risk Factors for Surgical Site Infection in Diabetic Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery

Muhammad Sameer Anwar1, Rimsha Malik2, Hafiz Muhammad Shoaib3

  • 1Medicine, Hayat Memorial Teaching Hospital, Lahore, PAK.

Cureus
|June 16, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are common in diabetic patients. Poor glycemic control, prolonged surgery, contaminated wounds, and smoking are key risk factors for SSIs in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Medical research
  • Surgical outcomes
  • Diabetic patient care

Background:

  • Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a significant postoperative complication.
  • Diabetic patients face higher SSI risks due to impaired immunity and delayed wound healing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify risk factors for SSIs in diabetic patients undergoing elective surgery.
  • To analyze the association between perioperative factors and SSI development.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective study of 150 diabetic patients undergoing elective surgery.
  • Data collected on glycemic indicators, comorbidities, operative details, and wound status.
  • Non-probability consecutive sampling used at Children Hospital Lahore.

Main Results:

  • Overall SSI rate was 25.3%.
  • Higher HbA1c, prolonged operative duration (>2 hours), contaminated wound classification, and smoking were significantly associated with SSIs.
  • Poor glycemic control, prolonged surgery, contaminated wounds, and smoking were independent predictors of SSI.

Conclusions:

  • SSIs in diabetic patients are strongly linked to modifiable perioperative factors.
  • Optimizing glycemic control and addressing factors like smoking and operative duration can reduce SSI risk.
  • Contaminated wounds and prolonged surgery are critical factors increasing infection risk.
Abstract

Keywords:
diabetes mellituselective surgeryglycemic controlsurgical site infectionwound classification

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