Incidence of Post-cesarean Section Wound Infections in Emergency and Elective Cases at a Tertiary Healthcare Center in Egypt

Introduction: Infections at the site of a cesarean section (CS) can lead to longer hospital stays, increased medical costs, and a range of other health complications, including higher mortality rates. For women who experience postoperative wound infections, the recovery process after a cesarean delivery becomes significantly more challenging. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence of postoperative wound infections between emergency and elective cesarean cases at a tertiary healthcare center in Egypt. Patients and Methods: This prospective cohort study included 220 patients who underwent either elective or emergency CSs. The patients were divided into two groups: those who underwent emergency CSs and those who underwent elective CSs. Each patient was monitored for 8 weeks post-surgery, with regular wound inspections. An audit form was used to document the occurrence of both minor and major wound infections to track infection rates. Results: Surgical site infections (SSIs) were identified in 28 patients. Of these, 13 patients (11.82%) were in the emergency CS group, and 15 patients (13.64%) were in the elective CS group. The difference in infection rates between the two groups was not statistically significant. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified rural residence, hypertension, membrane rupture, general anesthesia, blood loss ≥500 ml, and low postoperative hemoglobin levels as significant independent predictors for the incidence of SSIs (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The study identified significant independent predictors of postoperative SSIs following CSs, including rural residence, hypertension, membrane rupture, general anesthesia, blood loss ≥500 ml, and low postoperative hemoglobin levels. Furthermore, no significant difference in the risk of SSI was observed between emergency and elective CSs.