[Incidence of surgical site infections in a urology department].

Objectives: To determine the incidence of surgical site infections (SSI) in the urology wards as well as the SSI incidence in relation to the ASA score and surgical site contamination class.

Materials And Methods: One-year prospective cohort study was conducted in the Urologic department, General hospital, Sabac. The patients were daily examined and their diagnoses were made according to the definition of hospital infections using concurrently the ASA score and surgical site contamination class.

Results: Out of 241 operated patients, 32 patients were diagnosed with 33 SSI. The overall incidence rate of patients with SSI was 5.9% while incidence rate of SSI was 6.1%. There were not the differences in the incidence rates according to the ASA score of patients (p > 0.05). The incidence of SSI was 5.0% in the clan wounds, 11.2% in the clean-contaminated, and 20.7% in the contaminated wounds (Chi2 = 8.2 DF = 2 p < 0.016). The patients with SSIs were hospitalized approximately 2 times longer than the patients without SSI (t = -6.28; df = 239; p < 0.001).

Conclusion: This study suggests that it is necessary to maintain continuous surveillance of surgicical site infections and to implement the preventive measures, especially for clean and clean-contaminated surgery.