A national study on surgical wound infections 1992

Area of Science:

• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Surgical Site Infection (SWI) Surveillance
• Hospital-Acquired Infections

Background:

• Surgical site infections (SWI) represent a significant challenge in healthcare settings, impacting patient outcomes and healthcare costs.
• Understanding the epidemiology of SWI is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.
• Previous studies have highlighted variations in SWI rates across different hospital types and patient demographics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence rate of surgical site infections (SWI) across various hospital types in Thailand.
• To identify patient and wound-related risk factors associated with SWI.
• To evaluate the current practices of antimicrobial prophylaxis in relation to SWI occurrence.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 15,319 surgical wounds across 33 hospitals in Thailand from March 16 to May 15, 1992.
• Data collection included patient demographics, wound classification, surgical department, and antimicrobial prophylaxis usage.
• Incidence rates were calculated based on wound type, patient age, hospital level, and surgical specialty.

Main Results:

• The overall average incidence rate of SWI was 2.7%, with higher rates observed in provincial hospitals compared to others.
• Patients under 10 years and those aged 51-60 years exhibited increased SWI rates.
• Wound classification was a critical factor, with dirty wounds having the highest SWI incidence (9.7%) and clean wounds the lowest (1.3%).
• Antimicrobial prophylaxis was administered in 76.7% of cases, with ampicillin, gentamicin, and cloxacillin being commonly used.

Conclusions:

• Provincial hospitals require enhanced strategies for SWI prevention.
• Targeted interventions are necessary for high-risk patient age groups and wound classifications.
• Optimization of antimicrobial prophylaxis use is essential to reduce SWI rates effectively.