Update on risk factors of surgical site infection in colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract

Surgical site infection (SSI) in colorectal cancer (CRC) has been a serious health care problem due to the delay of postoperative recovery. Our present study aimed to explore the risk factors for SSI in CRC patients. We have systematically searched these databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE as of March 2020 for studies on risk factors associated with SSI. Two investigators independently conducted the quality assessment and data extraction. Related risk factors in the studies were recorded, and a meta-analysis was performed. The search initially provided 2262 hits, 1913 studies were screened by two independent investigators. Finally, 15 studies were identified to be relevant for this meta-analysis. In total, 25 risk factors were eligible. Our meta-analysis indicated that eight factors (obesity, male sex, diabetes mellitus, ASA score ≥ 3, stoma creation, intraoperative complications, perioperative blood transfusion, and operation time ≥ 180min) were significant risk factors for SSI, and one factor (laparoscopic procedure) was protective for SSI. Effective interventions targeting the above factors may reduce the risk of developing postoperative SSI in CRC patients and improve the clinical outcome of patients. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.