Prevalence of Surgical Site Nosocomial Infection in A Tertiary Health Care Institution in Nigeria

Study on prevalence of surgical site nosocomial infection in a tertiary health care institution in Nigeria was carried out. Patients admitted and slated for operation were selected and monitored fro m theater before and after the operation and furthe r followed to the wards fo r mon itoring of the healing processes of the surgical wounds. Bacterial load of the air and floor in th e theater was determined by settling plate and floor swabbing before and during the operation. Wound swabs were taken imm e- diately after operation and subsequently while the patients are recuperating in the surgical wards. The swabs were inoculated on Nutrient, Chocolate and MacConkey agar, incubated at 37oC. The fo llo wing bacterial species were isolated: Staphylococcus aureus (18%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (16%), Streptococcus pyogenes (6%), Streptococcus spp. (1%), Bacillus subtilis (3%), Bacillus cereus (5%), Bacillus megaterium (5%), Proteus mirabilis (6%), Citrobacter freundii (2%), Pseudomonas ae- ruginosa (11%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (7%), Klebsiella spp. (2%), Pseudomonas spp.(3%), Bacillus spp.(1%), Escherichia coli (7%), Serratia marcescens (5%), and Serratia spp.(2%). In fection rate on surgical sites are as fo llo ws: Appendisectomy (46.9%), Exp lo iratory laparato my (45.7%), Simple mastectomy (38.9%), Thyroidecto my (36.8%) and other type of surgery (30.0%). Out of 299 patients operated 124 were infected, this represent 41.5% p revalence rate. It can be concluded that the hospital has high prevalence rate of surgical site nosocomial infection.