INFECTIONS OF THE POST-CRANIOTOMY SURGICAL SITE AND ITS RELATED RISK FACTORS

Abstract

Despite scientific advances, infection after surgery remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Objective: To determine incidence rate, analyze risk factors and characterize surgical site infections (SSI). Patients and methods: Quantitative, descriptive, correlational, retrospective cross-sectional study of 117 records of patients with clean craniotomies, who met the inclusion criteria of the adult neurosurgery service of Mario Catarino Rivas Hospital between June 2016 to May 2017. Results: The incidence rate of SSI was 11.97%, which ranked first in incidence along with infections of pulmonary origin. The SSI in clean wounds were 10% and 30% in wounds with a foreign body. The most frequent etiologic agents were gram-negative bacilli. The main intrinsic risk factors were female sex ([OR] Odds Ratio=3), ASA I classification (OR= 4.4) and tumor pathology (OR=3.3); the extrinsics were more than 30 days of hospitalization (OR=5.4), re-interventions (OR=3.8), CSF leakage (OR=136), blood transfusion (OR=12.6), central venous catheter (OR=5.3), Bladder catheter more than 72 hours (OR=6.7), tracheotomy (OR=4.2),dural graft (OR=6.5) and without post-surgical drainage (OR=4.6). Conclusions: The incidence of SSI was high, with a higher proportion in women between 31 to 40 years old. Three intrinsic and nine extrinsic risk factor were significantly related to ISS, revealing a greater number of modifiable factors.