Risk factors for surgical site infection following Caesarean section in Nova Scotian women

Abstract

Surgical site infections (SSIs) can be serious complications after Caesarean section. Therefore, we determined among women undergoing a Caesarean section in Nova Scotia: 1) the incidence of SSI to hospital discharge, 2) risk factors associated with the development of a SSI, and 3) risk factors associated with the development of a SSI using a more inclusive SSI definition. Using a perinatal provincial database, we created a retrospective cohort of Nova Scotian women undergoing Caesarean section from 1997-2012 and followed them to hospital discharge. We determined risk factors for SSI using logistic regression with generalized estimating equations. The SSI rate decreased over our study period. The number of Caesarean sections performed per hospital per year; pre-pregnancy weight; hypertension; year of delivery; and anticoagulation therapy, weight gain, and chorioamnionitis during pregnancy were important risk factors for SSI.