Using the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance risk index to determine risk factors associated with surgical site infections following gynecologic surgeries.

Objectives: We used the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) risk index to determine risk factors associated with surgical site infections (SSIs) following gynecologic surgeries.

Material and methods: A retrospective study was conducted based on the medical records of 185 patients with SSIs, following gynecologic surgeries at a Grade A tertiary gynecologic and obstetric hospital in southwest China during September 2013-June 2021.

Results: Suspected risk factors associated with SSIs were: length of hospital stay, age, whether the patient had cancer, whether the patient had chemotherapy or high-dose antibiotic therapy before surgery, duration of surgery, amount of blood loss, and whether a blood transfusion was done. It was found that SSIs were more likely to occur in cancer patients with an NNIS risk index score of 1 and in patients with preoperative chemotherapy and an NNIS risk index score of 2. Among the patients with an NNIS risk index score of 2, the older the patient, the higher incidence of SSIs.

Conclusions: Gynecologic surgery teams should pay more attention to the independent risk factors associated with SSIs determined by the NNIS risk index score to prevent SSIs following gynecologic surgeries, thus ensuring patient safety.