Risk factors predisposing adult patients to postoperative infection at a rural district hospital in southern province/Rwanda

Abstract

Background: Postoperative surgical site infection is frequently nosocomial infection and it continue to be a main cause of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing surgery globally and cause of worry for patients, health care providers, hospitals and the public as a whole. The prevalence of surgical site infections (SSI) in a tertiary hospital in sub Saharan Africa was 15.5%. In surgical patient, SSI is still a challenge compared to other health care associated infections. In worldwide a considerable number of patients undergone surgery developed surgical site infection; moreover, surgical site infection increases mortality related to surgery. Aim: this study aimed to assess the risk factors predisposing adult patients to postoperative infections at Kabgayi district hospital. Method: This study took place at Kabgayi District hospital in southern Province/Rwanda, this was quantitative; Cross-sectional design and purposive sampling strategy were used. Questionnaire, interview and patients records from their file were used to collect data from 122 patients’ undergone surgery. Data were analysed by using SPSS, descriptive statistics, Chi-square test and logistic regression; to identify the relationship between variables. IRB clearance and approval letter from the hospital were given before to collect data, and data were recorded to the computer and protected with password. Results: In this study among 122 participants; SSI was 10 (8.2%), the most participants were female 105 (86.1%) and mean age was 32 years old, among patients’ factors only HIV positive (p value=0.014) was found to increase the risk for developing SSI but in various surgical factors none was found to be associated with SSI. Conclusion and recommendation in this study HIV positive was found to be a risk factor associated with SSI among patient’s related factors. Further research was needed regarding surgical site infection at rural district hospitals especially among women who undergone cesarean delivery as main procedure performed at this level.