Epidemiological characteristics of patients with surgical site infection undergoing lower segment cesarean section from Hospital Pedro García Clara, Venezuela

Abstract

Objective: To describe the epidemiological characteristics of patients with operative site infection (OSI) undergoing lower segment cesarean section from the Hospital Pedro García Clara, Venezuela. Materials and methods: This was a descriptive and retrospective study in patients undergoing lower segment cesarean section who presented OSI, admitted to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit of the Hospital "Pedro García Clara", during the period January 2011 - October 2016, the clinical data of medical records department of the aforementioned hospital was used. Results: Out of the 44 patients evaluated, 97.7% (n=43) presented OSI after emergency caesarean delivery, more than 80% of the infections were in patients aged 18 or older, of urban origin in 72.7% (n=31), with household activities (68.2%; n=30), secondary education (59.1%; n=26) and single women (45.5%; n=20). During the re-hospitalization, 81.8% (n=36) only reported OSI, while 11.4% (n=5) reported pyometra; the most isolated causative agent was Escherichia coli with 34.1% (n=15), 63.8% (n=28) had <10 days of hospitalization, only 6.8% (n=3) were admitted to unit of intensive care and only 4.5% (n=2) died during their inpatient stay. Conclusion: Patients with OSI undergoing lower segment cesarean section from the Hospital Pedro García Clara, Venezuela have clinical characteristics similar to previous reports; predominantly affected in those with emergency surgery, low educational level, comorbidities such as anemia and hypertension, having a favorable evolution in most cases.