DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sjams.2026.v14i03.013

Pages: 394-400

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are among the most common healthcare-associated infections worldwide, leading to increased morbidity, prolonged hospital stay, and higher healthcare costs. Despite advances in surgical care, SSIs remain a significant burden in low- and middle-income countries due to resource constraints and patient-related risk factors. Objective: To determine the prevalence of SSIs, identify associated patient- and procedure-related risk factors, and evaluate the impact of comorbidities and antibiotic use among post-operative patients in a tertiary hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2023 to June 2024, including 236 post-operative patients admitted for at least 72 hours. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, clinical parameters, surgical and wound-related factors, antibiotic use, and post-operative outcomes were collected using a structured checklist from medical records, patient interviews, and clinical observation. Descriptive statistics summarized the prevalence of SSIs, while binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with infection. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The overall prevalence of SSI was 9.8%, with 70.1% being superficial and 29.9% deep infections. Orthopaedic procedures accounted for the majority of surgeries (66.9%) and had an SSI rate of 11.4%, while neurosurgical procedures, although few, showed the highest SSI proportion (33.3%). SSI occurrence was higher among smokers (30.2% vs. 3.4% in non-smokers), patients receiving blood transfusions (16.8% vs. 5.7%), non-ambulating patients (36.0% vs. 2.1%), older patients over 40 years (54.2%), and those with contaminated/dirty wounds (28.6%). Longer operative duration (>3 hours) was also associated with increased SSI risk (33.3%). Most patients were young (61.9% aged 18–24 years), male, and had primary-level education, while comorbidities were