Study of surgical site infections in a Tertiary Care Hospital in a rural area of North India
Surgical site infections are those infections that occur within 30 days of surgery (within a year in case of implants). The present prospective study was undertaken to estimate the incidence and pattern of SSIs, in our hospital, in the Department of General Surgery and to determine the frequencies of various pathogens causing SSIs along with various factors which influence SSIs, as the problem of SSIs remains largely unexplored with lack of adequate data for future comparisons, particularly in a rural setup. Hence in the larger interest of benefiting patient care, this study was taken up in the Gian Sagar Medical College and Hospital located in village Ram Nagar, (District Patiala), which is a teaching hospital providing tertiary level medical care in a rural background of Punjab, Northern India. It was concluded that surgical site infections have always been a major complication of surgery and trauma. Various factors like old age, prolonged hospital stay, prolonged operating time, prolonged drainage, emergency surgery, the wound class and wound contamination predispose to wound infection. Antimicrobial prophylaxis although effective in reducing the incidence of surgical site infections, should be used timely and cautiously to prevent resistance.