A clinical study on surgical site infections after craniotomy at a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Background: Patients with craniotomy procedure might have serious complication like surgical site infection (SSI) with the incidence rate of >9.0%. Certain factors such as multiple operations, cerebrospinal fluid leak, use of corticosteroids, altered sensorium, and diabetes may increase the risk of SSI. It is important to prevent the incidence of SSIs to reduce mortality and morbidity of the patients undergoing craniotomy due to various indications. Aims and Objectives: The present study intends to clinically evaluate the SSI in post-craniotomy and to study general characteristics of patients who are suffering with SSI after craniotomy. Materials and Methods: The present study is prospective observational study of conducted on patients with SSI after craniotomy surgery. A complete history of patient and surgery-related information was collected. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 25 patients with SSI after craniotomy surgery were included in the study. The mean age of the patient was 53 years with male predominance (56). Out of 25 cases, nine patients were obese, 19 patients had a habit of smoking, and 13 patients were suffering from comorbid conditions. The majority of the patients (12 patients) were having intensive care unit stay of 8–14 days. The most common bacteria causing SSIs is found to be Staphylococcus aureus in organ space infections. Conclusion: From the present study, it can be concluded that even though risk statistical significance can be ruled out, it is important to consider the certain risk factors preoperatively to provide proper health-care facility.