Introduction
obesity, AIDS, blood loss, infection, SSI, puerperal sepsis, nonadherence
OBESITY, CHORIOAMNIONITIS, BLOOD LOSS, AIDS, DISORDERS, INFECTION, PUERPERAL SEPSIS
Caesarean section (CS) is among the most frequently performed major surgical operations, being a critical life-saving procedure, but the annual rate at which it is performed continues to increase exponentially to the extent that it now accounts for almost 20% of all births globally.There has been some improvement in terms of innovations and strategies directed at infection control measures to reduce the incidence of SSI in settings where it remains very high. Some of these include identification of factors known to influence postcaesarean SSIs such as obesity, previous CS, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), immunosuppressive disorders, chorioamnionitis, steroid treatment, use of staple suture wound closure, emergency CS, excessive blood loss and nonadherence to prescribed wound care management after leaving the hospital.Despite having decent healthcare coverage and substantial advances in postnatal care, puerperal sepsis and SSI remain among the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in South Africa. Post-CS SSIs and their associated factors have been previously reported in South Africa; a lack of skilled personnel, environmental risk factors and some other personal factors were all described as enablers of SSIs.The Alexis