The Incidence and Risk Factors of Surgical Site Infection Following Cesarean Section.

Background: The incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) following cesarean section (CS) is between 3% and 15% worldwide. There is a paucity of evidence regarding the incidence and risk factors of SSI following CS in Saudi Arabia. Globally, infection is the third greatest cause of maternal deaths. There are many risk factors associated with SSI post-CS such as age, previous history of CS, medical diseases, and a high number of vaginal examinations. Methods: A cross-sectional prospective descriptive study among women who underwent CS. Setting: Gynecology and obstetrics clinics in a maternity and children's hospital. Sample: A convenience sample of 124 mothers within 30 days after CS was used; data were collected from July 2021 to August 2021. This study found that the incidence of SSI after CS was 4% of the mothers who underwent CS operations in the Maternity and Children Hospital in Sakaka. Besides, the results showed that there is a significant association between the type of anesthesia (spinal) and SSI following CS (Chi = 4.288, p ≤ 0.05). To conclude that the incidence of SSI following CS was 4%, comparable to the international rate, and spinal anesthesia was the confirmed risk factor in our sample. Further studies should be carried out with larger samples and in more than one hospital in Sakaka, Saudi Arabia.