Surgical Site Infection Following Cesarean Section in a Teaching Hospital

Introduction: Over the last 20 years, the increase in cesarean section (CS) delivery has been substantial in many states in the country. Morbidity after a CS is increased considerably once there is a surgical site infection (SSI) and it may lead on to mortality. Medical science is able to reduce this problem of SSI by adhering to strict aseptic and antiseptic measures. How much we could achieve? What is the current burden of this problem? How we can further reduce it? Objective: To identify the incidence of SSI after CS and to identify the risk factors of SSI after CS. Design: Descriptive study. Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Government MCH Kottayam, Kerala, South India. It is a tertiary care center and a teaching hospital. Study Subjects: Women who had undergone CS. Results: 4.1% of subjects had SSI. The significant factors in the final model included were a high body mass index (BMI) (above 25), prolonged pre-operative hospital stay, and hypertensive disorders. Conclusions: By trying to reduce BMI, limiting the pre-operative hospital stay, and taking stringent measures against HDP (hypertensive disorders of pregnancy), we may be able to reduce SSI further.