OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors associated to surgical site infection (SSI) in newborns. DESIGN: Case-control study. Site. Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), Hospital de Pediatría, Centro Medico Nacional SXXI, IMSS. PATIENTS: 279 patients were included (125 cases and 154 controls). DATA: Gestational age, birth weight, previous infection, hospital stay, type of surgery, surgical drains, length of surgical procedure, bleeding during surgery, surgical site classification, serum albumin, classification of infection and surgeon performing the procedure. RESULTS: Five independent factors associated to SSI were identified: surgical reinterventions (OR = 13.6, CI 95% = 4.3-42.7); length of surgery > 60 minutes (OR = 3.0, CI 95% = 1.4-6.3); preoperative stay > 5 days (OR = 2.8, CI 95% = 1.3-5.6); consultant surgeon (OR = 2.7, CI 95% = 1.3-5.3), and previous systemic infection (OR = 2.1, CI 95% = 1.1-4.3). Lethality was 8.2% (n = 23), 74% in the group of cases (n = 17). CONCLUSIONS: Factors associated to SSI are mainly related to the characteristics of surgery and those of the patient. Lethality was low, but most of deaths were in the group of cases.
OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors associated to surgical site infection (SSI) in newborns. DESIGN: Case-control study. Site. Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), Hospital de Pediatría, Centro Medico Nacional SXXI, IMSS. PATIENTS: 279 patients were included (125 cases and 154 controls). DATA: Gestational age, birth weight, previous infection, hospital stay, type of surgery, surgical drains, length of surgical procedure, bleeding during surgery, surgical site classification, serum albumin, classification of infection and surgeon performing the procedure. RESULTS: Five independent factors associated to SSI were identified: surgical reinterventions (OR = 13.6, CI 95% = 4.3-42.7); length of surgery > 60 minutes (OR = 3.0, CI 95% = 1.4-6.3); preoperative stay > 5 days (OR = 2.8, CI 95% = 1.3-5.6); consultant surgeon (OR = 2.7, CI 95% = 1.3-5.3), and previous systemic infection (OR = 2.1, CI 95% = 1.1-4.3). Lethality was 8.2% (n = 23), 74% in the group of cases (n = 17). CONCLUSIONS: Factors associated to SSI are mainly related to the characteristics of surgery and those of the patient. Lethality was low, but most of deaths were in the group of cases.