Background: Cesarean section (CS) is often complicated by surgical site infection (SSI) that may happen to a woman within 30 days after the operation. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of SSI and identify the factors associated with SSI.
Methods: A hospital-based analytic cross-sectional study was conducted based on the review of medical records of 1069 women who underwent CS in two public hospitals in Harar city. The post-CS SSI is defined when it occurred within 30 days after the CS procedure. Factors associated with SSI were identified using a multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. The analysis outputs are presented using an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with a corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). All statistical tests are defined as statistically significant at P-values<0.05.
Results: The prevalence of SSI was 12.3% (95% confidence interval (CI): 10.4, 14.4). Emergency-CS was conducted for 75.9% (95% CI: 73.2, 78.3) of the women and 13.2% (95% CI: 11.3, 15.4) had at least one co-morbid condition. On presentation, 21.7% (95% CI: 19.3, 24.3) of women had rupture of membrane (ROM). Factors significantly and positively associated with post-CS SSI include general anesthesia (aOR = 2.0, 95%CI: 1.10, 2.90), ROM (aOR = 2.27, 95%CI: 1.02, 3.52), hospital stay for over 7 days after operation (aOR = 3.57, 95%CI: 1.91, 5.21), and blood transfusion (aOR = 4.2, 95%CI: 2.35, 6.08).
Conclusion: The prevalence of post-CS SSI was relatively high in the study settings. Screening for preoperative anemia and appropriate correction before surgery, selection of the type of anesthesia, close follow-up to avoid unnecessary prolonged hospitalization, and careful assessment of membrane status should be considered to avoid preventable SSI and maternal morbidity.