PREVALENCE OF POST-OPERATIVE WOUND INFECTIONS AMONG ORTHOPAEDIC PATIENTS WITH SURGICAL IMPLANTS: A MULTI-CENTRE STUDY AT TERTIARY CARE HOSPITALS

Abstract

Objective: To find out the prevalence of post-operative surgical site infections (SSI) among orthopaedic surgical patients with surgical implants and to determine the risk factors associated with these infections. Study Design: Cross sectional descriptive study. Place & Duration of  Study: Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery at three tertiary care hospitals in Pakistan from October 2025 to March 2026. Methodology: Non-probability consecutive sampling was used with a total of 110 patients who underwent orthopaedic implant surgery. Wound assessment was done post-operatively 30 and 90 days later. Surgical site infections (SSI) were diagnosed on the basis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definitions. Wound swabs were cultured and sent for sensitivity. Demographic and clinical parameters such as age, sex, BMI, diabetes mellitus (DM) and implant type were documented. Data were analysed in SPSS version 26.0. Results: Among 110 patients, 42 (38.2%) developed SSI. Of the patients, 68 (61.8%) were male. Diabetes mellitus was significantly associated with SSI development (p=0.031). The SSI rates were highest with external fixators (22.4%) and intramedullary nails (18.6%). Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was the most common organism found (n=11). SSI rates varied significantly across centres (Centre A: 36.8%, Centre B: 34.3%, Centre C: 43.2%; p<0.05). Conclusion: Orthopaedic implant surgeries still have a significantly high incidence of SSI in tertiary health care in Pakistan. Significant factors include diabetes mellitus, implant type, and centre-level factors. Prophylactic measures and good aseptic procedure are much needed.