Prevalence of Post Caesarean Wound Infections and Associated Factors among Mothers Delivering from Kampala International University Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Caesarean section simply is an operative technique by which a fetus is delivered through an abdominal and uterine incisions after a minimum period of 28 weeks of amenorrhea, whilst a post caesarean section wound infection (PCWI) is an infection that occurs after a C- section, usually due to a bacterial infection in the surgical incision site. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of post caesarean wound infections among mothers who delivered from KIU-TH, and to identify common factors associated with post caesarean wound infections among these mothers. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize and highlight the difference among the post-caesarean patients. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 16. The analyzed data was then presented using tables and charts. The results indicate that the prevalence of post-caesarean wound infection at Kampala International University-Teaching Hospital is still low (3.2%) but may increase if the steps are not taken to initiate its prevention and eradication. The results indicate that post-caesarean wound infection is positively and significantly associated with age (X2 = 10.747, P<0.05), the cause/reason of caesarean section (X2 = 62.000, P<0.05), color of liquor (X2 =45.983, P<0.05), duration of labor (X2 =10.067, P< 0.05) and amount of blood lost (X2 = 3.844, P<0.05). The prevalence of PCWIs at KIU-TH was 3.2% and the factors associated were the reason for caesarean section, color of liquor, duration of labor, amount of blood lost. Based on the results and the findings, the study recommends that recognition of the consequences and the building of the strategies to prevent and treat Post-caesarean wound infections at Kampala international university-teaching hospital is essential for reducing post- caesarean maternal morbidity and mortality. In addition, the study also recommends the recognition of the associated risk factors particularly the modifiable and their modification to reduce the occurrence of Post-caesarean wound infection. Keywords: Prevalence, Post Caesarean, Wound Infections and Mothers Delivering