Abstract: Background: Among the Health care associated infections (HAI), orthopaedic surgical site infections (OSSI) previously termed as post-operative wound infections are one of the most common HAI in low and middle income countries. Increase in OSSI is associated with increased morbidity, as well as mortality due to emergence of antimicrobial resistant pathogens. Understanding the pathogens implicated in causing the OSSIs and their antimicrobial sensitivity place a good role in reducing the mortality and morbidity.
Methods: A prospective study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital to all the patients admitted in Department of Orthopaedics for 2 years from January 2017 to December 2018. The demographic data, inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria, risk factors, clinical history, laboratory data with gram stain, culture results and antibiotic sensitivity of the isolates were collected.
Results: Two hundred patients were recruited in the study and the prevalence of OSSI in the study was 3.83%. Patients who underwent emergency operations and diabetics were at higher risk of acquiring OSSI. The most commonly isolated pathogens in the study were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was most common isolate from orthopaedic cases of OSSI.
Conclusions: Study clearly explains the various causes and risk factors associated in development of OSSI. The study guides in the type of the organism isolated and possible antibiotic of choice in treatment and management of OSSI. The prevalence of OSSI was 3.83%, which is comparable with some of the studies and lower than many of the studies.
