Surgical site infection and its associated factors following cesarean section in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

The incidence of surgical site infection and its predictors among women delivered via cesarean sections in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Although surgical wound infection remains a serious issue worldwide, the disease burden is greater in developing countries, including Ethiopia. Even though there were primary studies conducted at district levels in Ethiopia, there is little evidence about the pooled incidence of surgical site infections at the national level. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis determined the pooled incidence of surgical site infection and its associated factors among cesarean-delivered women in Ethiopia.

Methods

We searched PubMed, CINAHL, African Journals Online, Google Scholar, and higher educational institutional repositories. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled effect size with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Funnel plot and egger tests were computed to determine the existence of publication bias. A subgroup analysis was carried out.

Results

Twenty-three studies were included in the final analysis. The pooled incidence of surgical site infection among women delivered via cesarean section was 12.32% (95% CI: 8.96-16.11%). Rural residence (AOR = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.15-3.87), membrane rupture (AOR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.24-2.85), chorioammionitis (AOR = 4.13, 95% CI: 1.45-6.8), general anesthesia (AOR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.22-2.75), post-operative Hgb level less than 11 mg/dL (AOR = 3.25, 95% CI: 1.54-4.96) and membrane rupture greater or equal to 12 h (AOR = 3.93, 95% CI: 1.93-5.92) were independent risk factors for surgical site infections.

Conclusion

More than one in 10 women delivered via cesarean section developed surgical site infections in Ethiopia. Women living in rural areas and those with a membrane rupture, chorioammionitis, or anemia should be given special attention. General anesthesia should not be a mandatory procedure.

Surgical site infection following cesarean section and its predictors in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Worldwide, surgery related deaths within 30 days of the procedure accounts the third contributor among all causes of deaths, with an estimated 4.2 million people annually and half of these deaths occur in low and middle income countries.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the pooled prevalence of surgical site infection following cesarean section and its predictors in Ethiopia.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted by using PRISMA guideline. An appropriate and comprehensive search of PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Google Scholar, HINARI and Scopus was done. This SRMA included all articles conducted in all regional state of Ethiopia reporting the prevalence/proportion/incidence of SSI after cesarean section and/or associated factors. All observational study designs were included in this SRMA. Articles which lack our outcome of interest: SSI following cesarean section and its predictors were excluded from this SRMA. The I2 statistic was used to quantify heterogeneity across studies. Funnel plot asymmetry and Egger's tests were used to check for publication bias. A random effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of SSI. Adjusted Odds Ratio (OR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was also considered to determine the association of identified variables with SSI. Statistical analysis was conducted using STATA version 17 software.

RESULT

Initially 6334 studies were identified and finally 19 studies were found eligible for the analysis. Studies with a score of 7 and above were included for the final systematic review and meta-analysis. The review was comprised of 14 cross sectional studies, 4 cohort and one case control studies. The pooled estimate of SSI in Ethiopia was 11.13% (95%CI, 9.29-12.97%). Prolonged labor (AOR = 3.16, 95% CI; (2.14-4.68)), chorioamnionitis (AOR = 4.26, 95% CI; (1.99-8.91)), prolonged PROM (AOR = 3.80, 95% CI; (2.51-5.62)), repeated vaginal examination (AOR = 3.80, 95% CI; (2.45-5.88)), decreased hemoglobin level (AOR = 4.57, 95%CI; (3.16-6.60)), vertical skin incision (AOR = 3.09, 95% CI; (2.04-4.67)) and general anesthesia (AOR = 1.82, 95% CI (1.21-2.75)) are significantly associated with SSI after cesarean section in Ethiopia.

CONCLUSION

SSI after cesarean section in Ethiopia is high. Prolonged labor, chorioamnionits, prolonged PROM, repeated vaginal examination, decreased Hgb level, vertical skin incision and general anesthesia were positively associated. Thus, evidence based intra-partum care should be practiced.

Surgical site infections post cesarean section and associated risk factors: a retrospective case-control study at a tertiary hospital in Kenya

Background

Surgical site infection is a common healthcare-associated infection that affects maternal health, yet it can be prevented or controlled. Caesarian sections are most likely to develop surgical site infections. The rates of delivery by caesarian section in reported to be higher that the acceptable rates in some healthcare facilities. Risk factors for surgical site infections can be identified and modified to reduce the occurrence of surgical site infections. This study aims to determine the risk factors that contribute to surgical site infections post caesarian section in a tertiary teaching hospital in Kenya.

Methods

This was a retrospective case-control (1:2 matched) study conducted between 1st November 2021 to 31st October 2022 at a tertiary hospital in Nairobi. Data was extracted on surgical site risk factors as per World Health Organization's recommended preoperative measures, for both cases and controls. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize the variables and the Chi-squared test and Fisher's Exact test were used for group comparisons.

Results

A total of 1,262 caesarian deliveries were performed, 2.1% (27/1262) of which developed surgical site infections post caesarian section. The risk factors identified were not significantly associated with surgical site infection development (gestational age P=0.152, body mass index P=0.615, premature rupture of membranes P=0.253, and antibiotic prophylaxis P=0.108).

Conclusions

There was no significant association of exposure to surgical site infection risk factors with surgical site infection despite a positive trend. Other prospective methods should also be used in addition to chart reviews to determine the level of effect each risk factor has on surgical site infection.

Prevalence, risk factors, and antimicrobial resistance of endemic healthcare-associated infections in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Healthcare-associated infections (HCAI) place a significant burden on healthcare systems globally. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the prevalence, risk factors, and aetiologic agents of endemic HCAI in Africa.

METHODS

MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, and Global Health databases (EBSCOhost interface) were searched for studies published in English and French describing HCAI in Africa from 2010 to 2022. We extracted data on prevalence of HCAI, risk factors, aetiologic agents, and associated antimicrobial resistance patterns. We used random-effects models to estimate parameter values with 95% confidence intervals for risk factors associated with HCAI. This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022374559) and followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines.

RESULTS

Of 2541 records screened, 92 were included, comprising data from 81,968 patients. Prevalence of HCAI varied between 1.6 and 90.2% with a median of 15% across studies. Heterogeneity (I2) varied from 93 to 99%. Contaminated wound (OR: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.31-2.19), long hospital stay (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 0.92-1.80), urinary catheter (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 0.35-2.78), intubation and ventilation (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 0.85-2.22), vascular catheters (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 0.52-2.45) were among risk factors associated with HCAI. Bacteria reported from included studies comprised 6463 isolates, with E. coli (18.3%, n = 1182), S. aureus (17.3%, n = 1118), Klebsiella spp. (17.2%, n = 1115), Pseudomonas spp. (10.3%, n = 671), and Acinetobacter spp. (6.8%, n = 438) being most common. Resistance to multiple antibiotics was common; 70.3% (IQR: 50-100) of Enterobacterales were 3rd -generation cephalosporin resistant, 70.5% (IQR: 58.8-80.3) of S. aureus were methicillin resistant and 55% (IQR: 27.3-81.3) Pseudomonas spp. were resistant to all agents tested.

CONCLUSIONS

HCAI is a greater problem in Africa than other regions, however, there remains a paucity of data to guide local action. There is a clear need to develop and validate sustainable HCAI definitions in Africa to support the implementation of routine HCAI surveillance and inform implementation of context appropriate infection prevention and control strategies.

The Impact of Cefepime and Ampicillin/Sulbactam on Preventing Post-Cesarean Surgical Site Infections, Randomized Controlled Trail

Over the previous three decades, the rate of caesarean sections performed worldwide has grown exponentially. In comparison to a vaginal birth, the risk of all postpartum infections is higher with a cesarean section. One of the key factors contributing to maternal morbidity is the development of infectious complications in the surgical site after a caesarean section. The primary goal of the research was to compare the efficiency of using ampicillin/sulbactam (AMS) and cefepime (CEF) to reduce the incidence of surgical site infections (SSI) following caesarean delivery. This prospective randomized study was conducted among 200 pregnant women scheduled for elective cesarean section. They were collected from the Obstetrics and Gynecology department of Beni-Suef University Hospital, and then they were randomly assigned into two groups. Group (A) received cefepime 30 min before and 12 h after cesarean delivery, while group (B) received ampicillin/sulbactam 30 min before and 12 h after cesarean delivery. The groups were matched regarding the baseline women characteristics. Comparing the cefepime to the ampicillin/sulbactam revealed that the cefepime significantly decreased superficial SSI from 27% to 14% (0.023). A significant decrease was observed in deep SSI with cefepime compared to ampicillin/sulbactam from 24% to 13% (p-value 0.045). Interestingly, when the cefepime was compared to the ampicillin/sulbactam, we noted that the incidence of endometritis significantly decreased from 13% to 5% (p = 0.048). A noted decrease in post-operative fever in cefepime as compared to ampicillin/sulbactam from 18% to 13% (p-value = 0.329). Receiving prophylactic cefepime pre- and post-cesarean delivery significantly decreases post-operative wound infection and endometritis.

Incidence, Bacterial Profile and Predictors of Surgical Site Infection After Cesarean Section in Ethiopia, A Prospective Cohort Study

Background

Surgical site infections (SSI) after cesarean section are common in Ethiopia and result in maternal morbidity, mortality, hospitalization, and medical costs. This study aimed to determine the incidence, bacterial profile, and associated factors of surgical site infection after cesarean section (CS) in public and private referral hospitals.

Methods

A prospective observational cohort study was conducted on 741 pregnant women who underwent CS from July to September 2022. Women who had CS were followed up for at least 30 days. Infected wound specimens from those who had SSIs were collected and bacteriologically analyzed. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 25. The logistic regression model assessed the relationship between the independent variable and the outcome with 95% confidence interval.

Results

The incidence of post-cesarean surgical site infection was 11.6% (95% Cl: 9.4, 13.6). Staphylococcus aureus was the most common bacteria in CS wounds 10 (21.2%). Two to three antenatal care visits (ANC) (AOR: 3.11, 95% CI: 1.69, 5.75), delayed antenatal booking (AOR: 6.99, 95% CI: 2.09, 23.32), membrane rupture (AOR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.04, 4.24), multiple vaginal examinations (AOR = 4.21, 95% CI: 1.35, 6.92) and public hospitals (AOR: 11.1, 95% CI: 1.48, 45, 14) were associated with increased risk of SSI after CS, in contrary shorter hospital stays (AOR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.91) and transversal incisions (AOR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.91) were associated with lower risk SSI after CS.

Conclusion

The incidence of SSI after CS was high. Delayed antenatal booking, two to three antenatal visits, multiple vaginal exams, membrane rupture, vertical incision, longer postoperative hospital stays, and procedures in public hospitals were associated with increased risk of SSI after CS. Therefore, intervention programs should focus on post-discharge surveillance and identification of risk to reduce and prevent SSI after CS rate.

Post-cesarean section surgical site infection and associated factors in East Gojjam zone primary hospitals, Amhara region, North West Ethiopia, 2020

PURPOSE

Maternal surgical site infection after cesarean delivery is a clinical problem which contributes to significant morbidity and mortality. In Ethiopia admissions following cesarean section due to surgical site infection have been routine activities of health care institutions but there is limited scientific evidence on both the magnitude of the problem and factors associated with it making prevention mechanisms less effective. Therefore, this study aimed to assess magnitude and risk factors of post-cesarean section surgical site infection at primary hospitals of East Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia.

METHODS

Institution-based cross sectional study with retrospective chart review was conducted from September 10-30 /2020 at 3 randomly selected primary hospitals of east Gojjam zone. The data were entered in Epi data version 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for Social Science Software version 26. Post-cesarean section surgical site infection was measured based on disease classification and definition of the term by Center for Disease Control and Prevention. After checking for presence of multicollinarity, presence and degree of association of factors with outcome variable were computed through logistic regression analysis. Factors with P value ≤ 0.2 in bi-variable logistic regression analysis were included in the multivariable logistic regression analysis and those variables with P-value of <0.05 in multivariable analysis were considered statistically significant.

RESULT

From 622 medical records of women who underwent cesarean section, 77 (12.4%) of them developed surgical site infection. Rural residence [(AOR = 2.30, 95%CI: (1.29, 4.09)], duration of labor greater than 24hrs [(AOR = 3.48, 95%CI: (1.49, 8.09)], rupture of membrane>12hrs[(AOR = 4.61,95%CI:(2.34,9.09)], hypertension[(AOR = 3.14,95%CI:(1.29,7.59)] and preoperative Hematocrit ≤30%[(AOR = 3.22,95%CI:(1.25,8.31)] were factors significantly associated with post-cesarean section surgical site infections.

CONCLUSION

Magnitude of post-cesarean section surgical site infection was a significant problem in primary hospitals. Minimizing prolonged labor; minimize early rupture of membrane, properly managing patients with comorbidities like hypertension, strengthen prophylaxis and treatment for anemia during antenatal care and raising awareness for rural residents can reduce the problem. Zonal police makers should give emphasis to reduce its burden.

Maternal and neonatal outcomes in transverse and vertical skin incision for placenta previa : Skin incision for placenta previa

BACKGROUND

Placenta previa, a serious obstetric issue, should be managed by experienced teams. The safe and appropriate mode of delivery for placenta previa is by cesarean delivery. However, no studies were found comparing either maternal or neonatal outcomes for different skin incision in women with placenta previa. The aim of this study was to compare maternal and neonatal outcomes by skin incision types (transverse compared with vertical) in a large cohort of women with placenta previa who were undergoing cesarean delivery.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study carried out between January 2014 and June 2019. All pregnant women with placenta previa had confirmed by ultrasonologist before delivery and obstetrician at delivery. The primary outcome was the estimated blood loss during the surgery and within the first 24 hours postoperatively. Mean (standard deviation), median (interquartile range) or frequency (percentage) was reported to variables. Appropriate parametric and nonparametric tests were used to analyses.

RESULTS

The study included 1098 complete records, 332 (30.24%) cases in the vertical skin incision group and 766 (69.76%) cases in the transverse skin incision group. Those with vertical incision showed a higher percentage of preterm delivery, anterior placenta, abnormally invasive placenta, and history of previous cesarean delivery, and a lower percentage of first pregnancy, in vitro fertilization, and emergency cesarean delivery. After controlling for confounding factors, higher incidence of post-partum hemorrhage (OR 5.47, 95% CI 3.84-7.79), maternal intensive care unit (OR 4.30, 95% CI 2.86-6.45), transfusion (OR 5.97, 95% CI 4.15-8.58), and 5-min APGAR< 7 (OR 9.03, 95% CI 1.83-44.49), a more estimated blood loss (β 601.85, 95%CI 458.78-744.91), and a longer length of hospital stay after delivery (β 0.54, 95%CI 0.23-0.86) were found in the vertical skin incision group.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data demonstrated that transverse skin incision group showed the better perinatal outcomes in women with placenta previa. Future collaborative studies are needed to be done by centers for placenta previa to have a better understanding of the characteristics and the outcomes of the disease in the choosing skin incision.

Post cesarean section surgical site infection and associated factors among women who delivered in public hospitals in Harar city, Eastern Ethiopia: A hospital-based analytic cross-sectional study

Background

Cesarean section (CS) is often complicated by surgical site infection (SSI) that may happen to a woman within 30 days after the operation. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of SSI and identify the factors associated with SSI.

Methods

A hospital-based analytic cross-sectional study was conducted based on the review of medical records of 1069 women who underwent CS in two public hospitals in Harar city. The post-CS SSI is defined when it occurred within 30 days after the CS procedure. Factors associated with SSI were identified using a multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. The analysis outputs are presented using an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with a corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). All statistical tests are defined as statistically significant at P-values<0.05.

Results

The prevalence of SSI was 12.3% (95% confidence interval (CI): 10.4, 14.4). Emergency-CS was conducted for 75.9% (95% CI: 73.2, 78.3) of the women and 13.2% (95% CI: 11.3, 15.4) had at least one co-morbid condition. On presentation, 21.7% (95% CI: 19.3, 24.3) of women had rupture of membrane (ROM). Factors significantly and positively associated with post-CS SSI include general anesthesia (aOR = 2.0, 95%CI: 1.10, 2.90), ROM (aOR = 2.27, 95%CI: 1.02, 3.52), hospital stay for over 7 days after operation (aOR = 3.57, 95%CI: 1.91, 5.21), and blood transfusion (aOR = 4.2, 95%CI: 2.35, 6.08).

Conclusion

The prevalence of post-CS SSI was relatively high in the study settings. Screening for preoperative anemia and appropriate correction before surgery, selection of the type of anesthesia, close follow-up to avoid unnecessary prolonged hospitalization, and careful assessment of membrane status should be considered to avoid preventable SSI and maternal morbidity.

The risk factors and care measures of surgical site infection after cesarean section in China: a retrospective analysis

Background

Surgical site infections after cesarean section are very common clinically, it is necessary to evaluate the risk factors of surgical site infections after cesarean section, to provide evidences for the treatment and nursing care of cesarean section.

Methods

This study was a retrospective cohort study design. Patients undergone cesarean section in a tertiary hospital of China from May 2017 to May 2020 were identified, we collected the clinical data of the included patients, and we analyzed the infection rate, etiological characteristics and related risk factors of surgical site infection after caesarean section.

Results

A total of 206 patients with cesarean section were included, and the incidence of surgical site infection in patients with cesarean section was 23.30%. A total of 62 cases of pathogens were identified, Enterococcus faecalis (33.87%) and Escherichia coli (29.03%) were the most common pathogens. Both Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli were highly sensitive to Cefoperazone, Meropenem, and Levofloxacin. Logistic regression analyses indicated that Age ≥ 30y (OR 4.18, 95%CI: 1.23–7.09), BMI ≥ 24 (OR 2.39, 95%CI: 1.02–4.55), duration of cesarean section ≥ 1.5 h (OR 3.90, 95%CI: 1.28–5.42), estimated blood loss ≥ 400 ml (OR 2.35, 95%CI: 1.10–4.37) and the duration of urinary catheter ≥ 24 h (OR 3.18, 95% CI: 1.21–5.71) were the independent risk factors of surgical site infection after cesarean section (all p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Age, BMI, duration of surgery, blood loss and urinary catheter use were associated with higher risk of the surgical site infection after cesarean section. Clinical preventions and interventions are warranted for those population to reduce the occurrence of surgical site infection.

Magnitude and factors associated with surgical site infection among mothers underwent cesarean delivery in Nekemte town public hospitals, western Ethiopia

Background

Surgical site infection (SSI) is a serious public health problem due to its impacts on maternal morbidity and mortality and it can have a significant effect on quality of life for the patient. However, little has been studied regarding the magnitude and factors associated with SSI among women underwent cesarean delivery (CD) in study area. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the magnitude and factors associated with SSI among women underwent cesarean delivery in Nekemte Town Public Hospitals 2020.

Methods

An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1/2018 to January 1/2020. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select 401 patient cards from all records women underwent CD from January 1/2018 to January 1/2020. Epidata version 3.2 was used for data entry, and STATA version 14 was used for analysis. A logistic regression model was used to determine the association of independent variables with the outcome variable and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence interval was used to estimate the strength of the association.

Results

Three hundred eight two (382) cards of women were selected for analysis making a response rate of 95.2%. The mean (±SD) age of the mothers was 25.9 (±4.8) years. The prevalence of SSIs was 8.9% (95% CI: 6.03, 11.76). Age > 35 years (AOR = 5.03, 95% CI:1.69, 14.95), pregnancy-induced hypertension (AOR = 5.63, 95%CI:1.88, 16.79), prolonged labor (AOR = 4.12, 95% CI:1.01, 32.19), receiving general anesthesia (AOR = 3.96 95% CI:1.02, 15.29), and post-operative hemoglobin less than 11 g/dl (AOR = 4.51 95% CI:1.84, 11.07) were significantly associated with the occurrence of SSI after cesarean delivery.

Conclusions and recommendations

The magnitude of post CD SSI in this study was comparable with the sphere standards of CDC guidelines for SSI after CD. Concerned bodies should give due attention the proper utilization of partograph to prevent prolonged labor, and provision of iron folate to increase the hemoglobin level of pregnant mothers in all health institution. In addition, we would recommend the use of spinal anesthesia over general anesthesia.

Surgical site infection and its association with rupture of membrane following cesarean section in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies

Introduction

Surgical site infection occurs within 30 days after a surgical procedure and involves the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and soft tissue. Surgical site infection following cesarean section is a common postoperative complication and is associated with maternal morbidity and mortality in resource-limited settings. Even though the proportion of surgical site infection and some risk factors were reported by kinds of literature, varying results were stated across studies. There is also limited knowledge on the association between postpartum surgical site infection and the rupture of membrane. Hence, this systematic review and meta-analysis was designed to estimate the pooled proportion of surgical site infection and its association with rupture of membrane following cesarean section in Africa.

Methods

Studies published from January 01, 2000 to January 30, 2020 were searched from MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, Medscape, Web-science and CINAHL databases to search relevant published articles. We also performed a manual search of reference lists of key articles to retrieve additional relevant articles. Initially, 559 records were identified and 15 studies included in the analysis. The statistical analysis was performed using STATA 11. Heterogeneity between-study was explored by forest plot and inconsistency index (I²). The publication bias was checked by a funnel plot and Egger’s test. Pooled estimates of proportion and odds ratio were calculated by a random-effects model with a 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

The overall pooled proportion of surgical site infection following cesarean section was 10.21% (I² = 86.8, p < 0.000; 95% CI = 8.36, 12.06). The odds of developing surgical site infection among women who had the rupture of membrane before delivery were nearly 6 times higher than those who had not a rupture of the membrane (AOR = 5.65, 95% CI: 3.95–8.07).

Conclusions

The proportion of surgical site infections following the cesarean section is relatively high. Women who had rupture of the membrane before delivery were more likely to develop surgical site infections following the cesarean section. Due attention should be given to the provision of prophylactic antibiotics that can reduce surgical site infection after cesarean delivery.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40748-020-00122-2.

Prevalence of surgical site infection and its associated factors after cesarean section in Ethiopia: systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Surgical site infection (SSI) affects nearly one third of patients who have undergone a surgical procedure. It is a significant and substantial cause of surgical patient morbidity and mortality later with human and financial costs threat. There are fragmented and pocket studies which reported the prevalence of SSI among mothers who experienced for cesarean section and its risk factors. However, there is no any solid evidence established at the national level; which was also the interest of the authors to fill this gap. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of SSI after cesarean section and its associated factors at national level.

METHODS

Original articles were searched in PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Google Scholar, HINARI portal, and Cochrane Library. All observational studies defined outcome of variable "SSI as infection related to an operation procedure that occur at or near surgical incision within 30 days of operation or after one year if an implant is placed" were considered. Data were extracted using standard data extraction excel spread sheet checklists developed according to 2014 Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers' Manual after the quality was assessed through Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale. The I² statistic was used to quantify heterogeneity across studies. Funnel plot asymmetry and Egger's tests were used to check for publication bias. A fixed effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of SSI. Odds Ratio (OR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was also considered to determine the association of identified variables with SSI. Statistical analysis was conducted using STATA version 14 software.

RESULT

From initial 179 identified articles, 11 were eligible for inclusion in the final systematic review and meta-analysis. Studies with a score of 6 and above were included for final analysis. All included studies were institutional based cross sectional. The pooled estimate of SSI after cesarean section in Ethiopia was 9.72% (95%CI: 8.38, 11.05). Premature rapture of membrane (PROM) > 12 h (OR = 5.32, 95%CI: 3.61, 7.83), duration of labor> 24 h (OR = 3.67, 95%CI: 2.45, 5.48), chorioamnionitis (OR = 9.11, 95%CI: 5.21, 15.93), anemia (OR = 4.56, 95%CI: 2.88, 7.22) and having vertical skin incision (OR = 4.17, 95%CI: 2.90, 6.02) had increased odds of developing SSI after cesarean section.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of SSI after cesarean section in Ethiopia was high compared with the sphere standards of communicable disease control (CDC) guidelines for SSI after cesarean section. Therefore, Ministry of Health with its stake holders should give special emphasis on community and institution based programs in manner to prevent prolonged labor, PROM, chorioamnionitis and anemia which will also have synergistic impact on SSI after cesarean section. Moreover, there is also a call to health professionals not to use vertical incision as primary option of cesarean section to reduce the risk of developing surgical site infection among mothers.