International Journal of Tropical Medicine
ISSN: Online 1818-779XISSN: Print 1816-3319
Abstract
In endeavor to uphold a meticulous aseptic environment during surgical procedures, wound infection remains a prevalent complication following surgery. This complication may be attributed to factors such as dehiscence, hemorrhage, infection and/or suboptimal surgical technique. Given the emergence of new wound closure techniques and suture materials, we conducted a retrospective study within our neurosurgical population to assess the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) and compare it with existing data. A retrospective analysis was conducted at our institution, encompassing all patients who underwent cranial or spine surgery performed by a neurosurgeon. The data, extracted using hospital records, underwent analysis utilizing i2 and relative risk calculations. We retrieved information from a total of 234 cranial and spinal surgeries, revealing 2 cases with post‐operative wound infections. Comparison with published literature, indicating up to 33% of surgical cases experiencing post‐operative infections, was conducted. i2 testing yielded a statistical significance compared to surgical literature. This retrospective analysis demonstrated that the rate of neurosurgical post‐operative SSI aligns with existing literature, reflecting infection rates ranging from <1‐15%, contingent on surgery type, technique and patient characteristics. Surgical site infections constitute unfortunate and costly post‐operative complications. While risk factors have been extensively studied, institutional introspection is crucial to ensuring accountability and delivering optimal patient care aligned with established data and guidelines. Based on our results, no deviation from current techniques is deemed necessary at our institution.
How to cite this article:
Nishant Shrivastava, Shriram Gautam and Shikha Shrivastava. A Retrospective Study on Incidence and Risk Factors of Neurosurgical Post‐Operative Wound Infections.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36478/10.59218/makijtm.2024.2.12.16
URL: https://www.makhillpublications.co/view-article/1816-3319/10.59218/makijtm.2024.2.12.16