Abstract
BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are infections that occur within 30 days of surgery or within 1 year in patients with implants at or around the surgical site. They are among the dangerous complications of surgical procedures that expose patients to higher costs and increase the risk of death because of severe morbidity and associated longer hospital stays. This study aimed to determine the extent and determinants of surgical site infections in surgically treated cases during the study period. METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among surgically treated patients at Dilla University Referral Hospital in the surgical department. The calculated sample size was 408, calculated using the single population proportion formula, and the required information was collected from the medical records of the study participants using checklists. Bivariate logistic regression was performed to identify candidate variables, and all candidate variables with a P-value < of 0.25 were included in multivariable logistic regression. Variables with a P-value < 0.05 were considered statically significant, and the strength of association was measured by odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULT: As our finding showed magnitude of surgical site infections was 19.3%. The factors which had significant association with surgical wound infections were blood transfusion (AOR = 0.16 (0.04-0.73), hemoglobin level < 7 g/dl (AOR = 10.40 (3.39-32.49), shock (AOR = 19.09 (4.69-77.51), previous surgery (AOR = 11.53(3.73-35.61), hospitalization 7-14 days (AOR = 5.51(1.52-19.91) and hospitalization >14 days (AOR = 8.18(1.84-36.75). CONCLUSION: The percentage of surgical site infections was high. Shock, low haemoglobin level, blood transfusion, previous surgery, and longer length of hospital stay were significantly related to surgical site infections.