Factors Affecting Surgical Site Infections in Elective Colorectal Surgeries: An Observational Study

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) lead to significant morbidity and increased mortality across the world.They are a leading cause of increased financial, logistical, and human resource burden on health care providers and institutions.The SSI rates following elective colorectal surgeries have been reported as high as 20%.Multiple strategies have been suggested and experimented with to reduce these numbers; however, not much data are available regarding the effectiveness of these measures in the setting of healthcare systems in developing countries, and most studies focus on developed countries.Aim: To study the factors affecting the incidence of SSI following colorectal surgeries at a tertiary care hospital.Methods: This observational study was conducted on 50 patients (n = 50) undergoing elective colorectal surgery at a tertiary care Armed Forces hospital from October 2020 to September 2022.Results: The overall SSI incidence was 14%, comprising 12% superficial and 2% organ-space.The relevant clinical outcomes and various factors affecting wound healing were studied.There was a statistically significant difference in the BMI (p-value <0.05) of those who developed SSI when compared with those who did not.Conclusion: Higher body mass index (BMI) is an important risk factor for SSI in colorectal surgeries.Preventive strategies aimed at optimizing BMI may reduce infection rates.