EC Emergency Medicine and Critical Care

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) remain a significant postoperative complication, particularly in emergency surgical settings where timely intervention and optimal infection control are often challenging. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of SSIs and to identify associated risk factors among patients undergoing emergency surgeries at Shifa Medical Complex in the Gaza Strip.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2023 at Shifa Medical Complex. Data were retrospectively collected from medical records and patient interviews for 226 adults who underwent emergency surgeries. Variables included demographic data, comorbidities, perioperative factors, and postoperative outcomes. Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify risk factors associated with SSIs. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results: Of the 226 patients, 45 (19.9%) developed SSIs. Statistically significant risk factors associated with SSI occurrence included comorbidity (p = 0.005), diabetes (p < 0.001), cardiovascular disease (p = 0.014), preoperative hospital stay > 1 day (p = 0.032), anticoagulant use (p = 0.002), antiplatelet use (p = 0.014), and higher ASA scores (p = 0.004). Patients with medication use (especially anticoagulants and antiplatelets) had notably higher infection rates. Multivariate analysis confirmed diabetes, preoperative hospital stay, and ASA score as independent predictors.

Conclusion: The prevalence of SSIs following emergency surgeries at Shifa Medical Complex was 19.9%, with several modifiable and non-modifiable factors significantly associated with increased risk. Identifying high-risk patients and implementing timely, evidence-based perioperative care protocols are crucial for reducing SSI incidence in resource-limited, high-volume surgical centers.

 Keywords: Surgical Site Infection; Emergency Surgery; Risk Factors; Gaza; Cross-Sectional Study; Shifa Medical Complex

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