Background: Surgical site infection is the most common hospital acquired infection and a major cause of prolong hospitalization, discomfort, increased medical cost and post-operative morbidity. The goal of this study was to describe the incidence of Surgical Site Infection, its relation with age, sex, duration of operation, wound drainage and co-morbidity among the abdominal surgeries. Methods: This study was conducted at department of general surgery, government medical college & associated group of hospital Kota, Rajasthan. A total of 100 patients who underwent emergency or elective abdominal surgery were taken up for the study, all patients undergoing abdominal surgery were included in our study. Patients undergoing vascular, gynaecological, urological or plastic procedures were excluded. Results: During this period 100 patients underwent elective and emergency surgeries, out of which 14% cases developed post-operative SSI. Higher incidence of SSI was noted among the emergency cases (25%). Higher incidence of SSI was found with increasing age, diabetes, obesity, and in contaminated & dirty cases. Commonest organism isolated was extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli. Conclusion: Post-operative wound infections represent a significant burden of disease both for the patients and health services in terms of the morbidity and costs. Possibly modifiable independent risk factors for SSI after abdominal surgery including open surgical approach, contaminated wound and emergency surgery. SSI can be reduced by adequate preoperative patient preparation, preoperative control of remote site infections, appropriate antibiotic administration, reducing the duration of surgery to minimum, appropriate use of drains and intraoperative maintenance of asepsis. Employing methods that could reduce the incidence of SSI, would reduce patient morbidity and lessen the associated economic burden.
