A midwifery led prevalence programme for caesarean section surgical site infections

Summary Caesarean section (CS) is a common procedure accounting for 29% of all deliveries. Surgical site infections (SSI) are a risk with any surgical procedure. A CS SSI prevalence programme led by a midwife, who is also an infection prevention & control matron, was implemented to determine the rate of CS SSI within the Trust. The initial CS SSI rate was 26% over a three-month period (June-Aug 2012). Targeted interventions were put in place to reduce the rate, and by 2019 the CS SSI rate had fallen to 8%. Hospitals should consider implementing CS SSI surveillance and implementing prevention programmes. Real benefits can be realised with minimal resources.