Prevalence of Bacterial surgical site infection in traumatic patients undergoing orthopedic surgeries: a cross-sectional study.

Background and objective: Infection at the surgical site is one of the most common postoperative complications. Due to the high prevalence of orthopedic surgery site infection, epidemiologic studies that evaluate the frequency distribution of bacterial infection and related risk factors seem crucial. In the present study, we aimed to investigate and evaluate the prevalence of bacterial infections in traumatic operated patients.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that was performed in 2011-2020 on all trauma cases with closed fractures re-admitted to the traumatic referral hospital due to surgical site infection after orthopedic surgeries. Data regarding surgical site culture and antibiogram and the most effective antibiotics were also collected from medical documents of patients.

Results: During this study, 5950 people underwent traumatic closed fracture surgeries, of which 238 (4%) were readmitted due to infection. Data of 157 patients were analyzed and showed that the most common site of infection was knee in 46 patients (29.3%). Data also showed that gram-positive bacteria were detected in 55 patients (56.7%) while gram-negative micro-organisms were found in 42 patients (43.3%). Based on the statistical analysis, vancomycin was the most effective antibiotic in staphylococcus infections. There was also a significantly higher risks of bacterial surgical site infection for tibial injury (OR = 1.18, P < 0.001), knee injury (OR = 1.50, P < 0.001), presence of Staphylococcus (OR = 1.50, P < 0.001) and also Enterobacter (OR = 1.50, P < 0.001) both in the crude and adjusted models.

Conclusion: The prevalence rate of infection was 4% and the most common bacteria was Staphylococcus aureus. Vancomycin was also the most effective antibiotic in patients. We suggest that more studies should be conducted on the use of prophylactic antibiotics.