Post Cesarean Section Surgical Site Infection; Incidence and Risk Factors

The rate of births delivered by cesarean section (CS) has gone up substantially all over the world. Post-cesarean surgical site infection (SSI) is a common cause of maternal morbidity and mortality that results in prolonged period of hospitalization with increased cost and direct health implications, especially in low socioeconomic population, resource- restricted settings, and war- related conditions with internal forced movement. This study was aimed to find incidence of post cesarean section surgical site infection with the accompanying risk factors. Pregnant ladies admitted to department of obstetrics and gynecology at Medical City Hospital in Baghdad who had undergone CSs were followed up prospectively from first of January 2017 till end of June 2017. Full medical evaluation was done to assess all clinical, laboratory, and sociodemographic characteristics of both, patients and controls. Statistical comparison was measured to appraise the important risk factors. A total of 3036 pregnant ladies were recruited, 191 patients had SSI with and an incidence rate of 6.3 %. The above- mentioned 191 patients constituted of 93 (48.7 %) internally moved patients due to the war, while they were 97 patients (25.4 %) out of 382 control- group. Obesity, diabetes mellitus, emergency CS, vertical incision, interrupted suturing, and rupture of membranes before CS, were significant risk factors of post CS SSI. Rate and several risk factors of post CS SSI were studied to increase the public attention, and to take full steps to decrease it prophylactically.