ABSTRACT

Surgical site infections (SSI) are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality, as well as human and financial overcosts associated with prolonged hospitalizations and unplanned surgical reoperations.
Awareness and collective commitment of the medical staff are mandatory for controlling these infections. 
Estimate the incidence of SSI within a Moroccan general surgery department, analyze its risk factors, and come out with practical recommendations adapted to Moroccan structures.
This is a retrospective study conducted in the general surgery department (Wing I) at CHU Ibn Rochd Casablanca during the period between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2022.
Risk factors such as age, ASA score, type of intervention, and operative time were collected on a standardized data sheet.
During this four-year period, 2436 patients were operated on; the incidence of surgical site infection in our study was 2.46%, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 1.92 to 3.16%.
Colorectal surgery represented the intervention that caused the most infections, with a rate of 47%.
All infected patients underwent samples for bacteriological study, processed in the microbiology department. The most found germ was Escherichia coli 46.7%. It was sensitive to all antibiotics in 7.4% of cases, sensitive to amoxicillin + clavulanic acid in 35.7%, sensitive to cotrimoxazole in 44%, ESBL-producing in 7.4%, resistant to gentamicin and amikacin in 3.7% and 7.4% respectively.
Age, ASA score, Altemeier contamination class, and type of intervention were the main risk factors found in this study.
SSIs represent a major public health issue.
Prevention relies on rigorous epidemiological monitoring, compliance with hygiene measures surrounding the surgical act, as well as revision of antibiotic therapy protocols and implementation of standardized procedures in surgical departments.

KEYWORDS

surgical site infection, risk factors, prevention, Escherichia coli.

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