Incidence of Surgical Site Infection and Risk Factors in Rectal Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract Introduction Surgical site infection (SSI) is the main cause of nosocomial infection in Spain. The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence of SSI and to evaluate its risk factors in patients undergoing rectal surgery. Methods Prospective cohort study, conducted from January 2013 to December 2016. Patient, surgical intervention and infection variables were collected. Infection rate was calculated after a maximum period of 30 days of incubation. The effect of different risk factors on infection was assessed using the odds ratio adjusted by a logistic regression model. Results The study included 154 patients, with a mean age of 69.5±12 years. The most common comorbidities were diabetes mellitus (24.5%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (17%) and obesity (12.6%). The overall incidence of SSI during the follow-up period was 11.9% (95% CI: 7.8–17.9) and the most frequent microorganism was Escherichia coli (57.9%). Risk factors associated with surgical wound infection in the univariate analysis were blood transfusion, drain tubes and vasoactive drug administration ( P Conclusions The incidence of SSI in rectal surgery was low. It is crucial to assess SSI incidence rates and to identify possible risk factors for infection. We recommend implementing surveillance and hospital control programs.