IJCM_393A: Determinants of delayed wound healing among the post-operative patients at various tertiary care hospitals in Mangalore, India

Abstract

Background: Wounds repair themselves in a timely and orderly healing pathway, with the result of both functional and anatomical restoration. Time course for wound healing ranges from 5 to 10 days whereas some healing which cannot be repaired in an orderly and timely manner and take beyond 10 days are known as delayed wound healing. Hence it becomes necessary to identify the various risk factors of delayed wound healing and antibiotic resistance found in them. Objective: 1. To find out the proportion of post-operative patients developing delayed wound healing. 2. To study the determinants and microorganisms responsible for of delayed wound healing among post-operative patients. Methodology: Study type: Analytical study, Study design: Prospective study, Study setting: Three tertiary care hospitals in Mangalore, Study population: post-operative patients admitted at these hospitals. Inclusion criteria: Post operative patients with surgical wounds on any part of the body and those admitted for at least 10 days in the hospital after the surgical procedure. Sampling method: Convenience sampling Results: Mean age of the study participants was 47.9 ± 12.4, where Diabetes Mellites (60.7%), Hypertension (82.1%), Smoking (50.8%) along with surgical factors such as size and site of wound was found to significant associated with delayed wound healing. Majority of organisms responsible for delayed wound healing had E-coli (23.4%) followed by Proteus (17.6%) in our study. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was identified in 2.8% of the cases. Conclusion: It was concluded that comorbidities and surgical parameters, play a significant role in delayed wound healing. Thus, organism and antibiotic profiling is crucial for preventing delayed wound healing.