The Prevalence of Postoperative Wound Infection in Orthopedic Surgery at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College (BSMMC), Faridpur, Bangladesh

Background: Surgical site infections (SSI) in orthopaedic surgery are reported to have a prevalence ranging from 1 to 22%. These infections significantly impact various aspects of patient care, including increasing the cost of treatment, prolonging the use and abuse of antibiotics, and raising the levels of morbidity and rehabilitation required.

Aim of the Study: The objective of this study is threefold; firstly, to delineate the occurrence of SSI after elective orthopedic surgeries; secondly, to outline the epidemiological attributes of SSIs, including the timeline of SSI onset and the bacterial agents responsible; and lastly, to determine the autonomous risk factors that correlate with SSI.

Methods: This prospective study was conducted in the Department of Orthopedics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College (BSMMC), Faridpur, Bangladesh, from June 2021 to July 2022.

Results: A total of 100 patients participated in the study, and 6 out of 80 cases were diagnosed with an infection at the operative site on postoperative day 5. The overall incidence of infection in this study was 7.50%. The gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria isolated from the surgical site infection were E. Coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. E. Coli was found in 3 cases (42.9%), while Staphylococcus aureus was found in 4 cases (57.1%). Furthermore, we discovered a significant negative correlation between the time of antibiotic administration and pre-operative stay.

Conclusion: Moreover, numerous surgical procedures do not follow standard protocols, and various perioperative situations require modifications to established preventive measures. In our recent study on antibiotic prophylaxis, we found that prophylactic antibiotic treatments should be provided for a diverse range of surgical operations. It was observed that the types of harmful microorganisms and the degree of antibiotic resistance significantly varied among hospitals.