Risk Factors Associated with Post-operative Wound Complications in the Animal Birth Control Program, Chiang Mai Municipality, Thailand, 2017

While surgical sterilization is applied in the animal birth control program, Chiang Mai Municipality, with limited resources under field condition, there was concern about complications in post-operative wound healing. This study aimed to describe the incidence of wound complication after surgical sterilization and evaluate the associated risk factors. The investigators conducted a cross-sectional study on the owners and animals participated in the program from March to June 2017. The investigators recorded wound complications and possible risk factors for seven days after the operation, and assessed those factors using risk ratios (RR) with 95% level of confidence. Out of total 141 owners of 252 animals included in this study, 15 (6.0%) animals had post-operative wound complications. Animal receiving cefazolin injection prior to the operation was 0.36 times (95% CI = 0.14–0.97) likely to have wound healing complication than those received penicillin with dihydrostreptomycin. Complete course of either antibiotic or anti-inflammatory drug after the operation could protect animals from wound complications (RR = 0.15; 95% CI = 0.05–0.43). Among female animals, midline incision had lower incidence of complication than flank incision (RR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.07-0.77). In conclusion, there were 6% of post-operative wound complications in this program. Monitoring of wound complications should be included in every surgical sterilization campaign.