Incidence and Risk Factors of Surgical Site Infection Following Orthopedic Implant Surgeries in a tertiary Healthcare setting at Lahore

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a leading cause of postoperative morbidity following orthopedic implant surgeries, resulting in delayed recovery and high healthcare costs. The aim of this study was to establish the incidence and the risk factors of SSIs after orthopedic implant surgery. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study (April 2024 to July) enrolled 180 patients aged 18 years and above who were undergoing orthopedic implant surgeries. A structured proforma was used to collect data on demographic, clinical and perioperative variables. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, SSIs were detected. The SPSS version 26.0 was used to perform the statistical analysis using the chi-square and t-tests to make the univariate comparisons and multivariate logistic regression to identify the independent predictors of SSI. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The total incidence of SSIs was 11.7%(n=21). SSIs were significantly related to diabetes mellitus (p = 0.01), smoking (p = 0.03), and prolonged surgical duration (>2 hour, p = 0.02), as well as antibiotic prophylaxis (p = 0.001) deficit. These were affirmed as independent predictors using multivariate analysis: diabetes (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.84), smoking (AOR = 2.19), duration more than 2 hours (AOR = 2.61), and no antibiotic prophylaxis (AOR = 4.73). Conclusion: The incidence of SSI was considerably high in orthopedic implant surgeries. The risk of infection can be reduced significantly by optimizing the use of perioperative antibiotics, controlling diabetes, reducing the length of operation, and deterring smoking.