Burden of surgical site infection following cesarean section in sub-Saharan Africa: a narrative review

Prevalence of post-caesarean section surgical site infections in Rwanda: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Caesarean section (C-section) is the most performed major surgery worldwide. About 15% of births are delivered through C-section in Rwanda. The post-caesarean surgical section is one of the most frequent complications that follow a C-section. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to estimate the pooled prevalence of surgical site infections following caesarean section deliveries in Rwanda. A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, DOAJ, AJOL and the Cochrane Library to identify primary studies on post-caesarean surgical site infections in Rwanda. Studies meeting predetermined criteria were included, and their quality was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Tools. Heterogeneity was evaluated using I2 statistics, while publication bias was examined via funnel plots and statistical tests. Pooled prevalence was calculated using Jamovi 2.3.28 software, with subgroup analysis conducted to identify sources of heterogeneity. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. From 139 articles initially searched from the databases, only 17 studies with 8, 082 individuals were finally included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Using the random-effects model, the pooled estimate of post C-section SSIs prevalence in Rwanda was 6.85% (95% CI 5.2, 8.5). Subgroup analysis based on publication year, sample size, hospital and study design showed no much difference in SSI prevalence. The current systematic review and meta-analysis indicates that post-caesarean surgical site infections are significant in Rwanda. A collaborative effort is required to lower post-C-section SSIs and provide the best surgical care in the country.

Psychosocial impact of surgical complications and the coping mechanisms among surgeons in Uganda and Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

We aimed to assess the psychosocial impact from postoperative complications on the surgical workforce and the coping mechanisms they use following these complications in Uganda and Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This was a cross-sectional multi-center study conducted from first February 2022 to 31st March 2022 in the preselected main teaching hospitals of Uganda and Eastern DRC. We surveyed the surgical workforce (practicing surgeons, Obstetrician-Gynecologists, and residents in surgery/ Obstetrics-Gynecology) who had experienced postoperative complications in their career. Data was analysed using SPSS version 23. One hundred ninety-eight participants responded to the questionnaire. Worry about patient and reputation were the commonest psychological impacts in 54.0% and 45.5% of the participants respectively. Majority of the participants (55.1%) used positive coping mechanisms with a positive impact on their practice (94.4%). Being a female doctor (AOR = 2.637, CI 1.065-6.533, P = 0.036), worrying about reputation (AOR = 3.057, CI = 1.573-5.939, P = 0.001) and guilt after a complication (AOR = 4.417, CI = 2.253-8.659, P = <0.001) were predictors of a negative coping mechanism. Postoperative surgical complications continue to cause a huge psychological impact on the operating doctors in Uganda and the Eastern DRC. Female doctors, those that worry about the reputation and those that feel guilty following a complication should be given more support and guidance by peers when surgical complications occur to their patients.

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.

Late and Persistent Symptoms Suggestive of Surgical Site Infections After Cesarean Section: Results from a Prospective Cohort Study in Rural Rwanda

Background: Women in low-resource settings will likely develop late surgical site infections (SSIs), diagnosed after post-operative day (POD) 10. We measured SSI prevalence and predictors of late and persistent SSIs-suggestive symptoms among women who delivered via cesarean section (c-section). Patients and Methods: Women who underwent c-sections at Kirehe District Hospital (KDH) between September 2019 and February 2020 were prospectively enrolled. Data were collected on POD1, POD11, and POD30. Logistic regression identified factors associated with persistent and late SSI symptoms. Results: In total, 808 women were study enrolled. Of these, 646 women physically attended the POD11 clinic visit follow-up, while 671 received the POD30 telephone-based follow-up review. Thirty-three (5.0%) women were diagnosed with an SSI on POD11, and 39 (5.3%) had an SSI diagnosis during POD11 to POD30, giving a cumulative prevalence of 10.3% late SSI rate. Of 671, 400 (59.9%) reported at least one SSI-associated symptom between POD11 and POD30. The reported symptoms included pain (56.6%), fever (19.4%), or incision drainage (16.6%). Of these, 200 women reported still having at least one of these symptoms on POD30. Of the 400 women with late SSI symptoms, 232 (58.0%) did not seek care, and of these, 80 (48.5%), 59 (35.8%), and 15 (8.9%) could not afford transport fare, did not believe symptoms were severe for a medical visit, and were not able to travel, respectively. Lower odds of late SSI-suggestive symptoms were reported among women with health insurance (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.06; p = 0.013), whereas higher late SSI-suggestive symptoms odds were among women with wealthier socioeconomic status (aOR, 2.88; p = 0.004). Conclusions: Women in rural Rwanda are at risk of late and persistent SSI-suggestive symptoms. Financial barriers and the perception that their symptoms were not serious enough for the medical visit need education on early care seeking and interventions to mitigate financial barriers for optimizing perinatal care.

Global incidence of surgical site infections following caesarean section: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Surgical site infection (SSI) is a health-threatening complication following caesarean section (CS); however, to the authors' knowledge, there is no worldwide estimate of the burden of post-CS SSIs. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the global and regional incidence of post-CS SSIs and associated factors.

METHODS

International scientific databases were searched systematically for observational studies published from January 2000 to March 2023, without language or geographical restrictions. The pooled global incidence rate was estimated using a random-effects meta-analysis (REM), and then stratified by World-Health-Organization-defined regions as well as by sociodemographic and study characteristics. Causative pathogens and associated risk factors of SSIs were also analysed using REM. Heterogeneity was assessed with I2.

RESULTS

In total, 180 eligible studies (207 datasets) involving 2,188,242 participants from 58 countries were included in this review. The pooled global incidence of post-CS SSIs was 5.63% [95% confidence interval (CI) 5.18-6.11%]. The highest and lowest incidence rates for post-CS SSIs were estimated for the African (11.91%, 95% CI 9.67-14.34%) and North American (3.87%, 95% CI 3.02-4.83%) regions, respectively. The incidence was significantly higher in countries with lower income and human development index levels. The pooled incidence estimates have increased steadily over time, with the highest incidence rate during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (2019-2023). Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were the most prevalent pathogens. Several risk factors were identified.

CONCLUSION

An increasing and substantial burden from post-CS SSIs was identified, especially in low-income countries. Further research, greater awareness and the development of effective prevention and management strategies are warranted to reduce post-CS SSIs.

Protocol for designing and testing the effectiveness of a post caesarean section home care guide in preventing surgical site infection in Central Tanzania

BACKGROUND

The advantages of caesarean section (CS) in managing obstetric emergencies are abundant, but it is associated with several complications including surgical site infection (SSI). SSI significantly contributes to maternal morbidity and mortality rates. Mothers often do not receive adequate information about their at-home post-delivery care. Also, guidelines on post-CS care worldwide typically do not include home care recommendations. Because of the increased rate of CS and space constraints in the hospitals, mothers are often discharged home within 48 hours after CS. Therefore, it is anticipated that using an evidence-based home care guide would provide instruction to the mothers and is likely to prevent postpartum complications and promote the well-being of both the mother and the newborn.

AIM

To design and test the effectiveness of a post-CS home care guide in preventing SSI in central Tanzania.

METHODOLOGY

This is a sequential exploratory mixed-method interventional study conducted in two regional referral hospitals in central Tanzania. A qualitative study will be conducted to explore the experiences of nurse midwives, mothers who had caesarean deliveries and their caretakers regarding the care of mothers and newborns at home. The findings will inform the development of a post-CS home care guide. Following a series of validations of the guide, research assistants will employ the guidelines to instruct post-CS mothers about home care as part of the intervention. Thirty participants will purposively be recruited for the qualitative study and a random sample of 248 nurse-midwives and 414 post-CS mothers to assess the effectiveness of the guide in improving knowledge of home care and preventing SSI. SPSS version 25 will be used to analyse quantitative data and content analysis, and ATLAS.ti will guide in analysing the qualitative data.

CONCLUSION

The post-CS home care guide will provide instructions to post-CS mothers and their caretakers about the care of the mothers after CS to enhance their recovery.

Surgical Site Infections at Shirati KMT Hospital in Northeastern Tanzania

Despite improved guidelines for surgical practices and better surgical methods and tools, surgical site infection (SSI) is still a common cause of morbidity and mortality with increased rates in resource-limited nations. In Tanzania, there is limited data on SSI and associated risk factors for developing an effective surveillance system for SSI. In this study, we aimed to establish for the first time the baseline SSI rate and its associated factors at the Shirati KMT Hospital in Northeastern Tanzania. We collected hospital records of 423 patients who had undergone major and minor surgeries between January 1 and June 9, 2019, at the hospital. After accounting for incomplete records and missing information, we analyzed a total of 128 patients and found an SSI rate of 10.9% and performed univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses for elucidating the relationship between risk factors and SSI. All patients with SSI had undergone major operations. Moreover, we observed trends of increased association of SSI with patients who are 40 or younger, female, and had received antimicrobial prophylaxis or more than one type of antibiotics. In addition, patients who had received an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score of II or III, as one category, or undergone elective operations or operations lasting longer than 30 minutes were prone to develop SSI. Although these findings were not statistically significant, both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed a significant correlation between clean contaminated wound class and SSI, consistent with previous reports. The study is the first to elucidate the rate of SSI and its correlated risk factors at the Shirati KMT Hospital. We conclude that, based on the obtained data, clean contaminated wound class is a significant predictor of SSI at the hospital and that an effective surveillance system for SSI should begin with adequate record keeping of all patients' hospitalization and an efficient follow-up system. Moreover, a future study should aim to explore more widespread SSI predictors such as premorbid illness, HIV status, duration of hospitalization prior to operation, and type of surgery.

Skin wounds in a rural setting of Côte d'Ivoire: Population-based assessment of the burden and clinical epidemiology

Background

Data on the burden and clinical epidemiology of skin wounds in rural sub-Saharan Africa is scant. The scale of the problem including preventable progression to chronic wounds, disability and systemic complications is largely unaddressed.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study combining active (household-based survey) and passive case finding (health services-based survey) to determine the burden and clinical epidemiology of wounds within the Taabo Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) in rural Côte d’Ivoire. Patients identified with wounds received free care and were invited to participate in the wound management study simultaneously carried out in the survey area. The data were analysed for wound prevalence, stratified by wound and patient characteristics.

Results

3842 HDSS-registered persons were surveyed. Overall wound prevalence derived from combined active and passive case finding was 13.0%. 74.1% (403/544) of patients were below the age of 15 years. Most frequent aetiologies were mechanical trauma (85.3%), furuncles (5.1%), burns (2.9%) and Buruli ulcer (2.2%). Most wounds were acute and smaller than 5 cm² in size. 22.0% (176/799) of wounds showed evidence of secondary bacterial infection. 35.5% (22/62) of chronic wounds had persisted entirely neglected for years. Buruli ulcer prevalence was 2.3 per 1000 individuals and considerably higher than expected from an annual incidence of 0.01 per 1000 individuals as reported by WHO for Côte d’Ivoire at the time of the study.

Conclusions

Skin wounds are highly prevalent in rural West Africa, where they represent a widely neglected problem. The HDSS-based survey with combined active and passive case finding adopted in this study provides a better estimate than school- and health institution-based surveys which underestimate the frequency of skin wounds and, particularly, of neglected tropical diseases of the skin, such as Buruli ulcer and yaws. A comparison with country-specific WHO data suggests underreporting of Buruli ulcer cases.

Trial registration

Registration at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03957447.

Data on the burden and clinical epidemiology of skin wounds in rural sub-Saharan Africa is scant. The scale of the problem including preventable progression to chronic wounds, disability and systemic complications is largely unaddressed.

We conducted a cross-sectional study combining active (household-based survey) and passive case finding (health services-based survey) to determine the burden and clinical epidemiology of wounds within the Taabo Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) in rural Côte d’Ivoire. Patients identified were invited to participate in the wound management study simultaneously carried out in the survey area.

We surveyed approximately 4000 HDSS-registered persons and found a high overall wound prevalence (13.0%), predominately in children. Mechanical trauma was the leading cause, followed by furuncles, burns and Buruli ulcer. Most wounds were acute and had a size of less than 5 cm², but a substantial proportion was large, complicated, or chronic, some of the latter persisting neglected for years.

The HDSS-based survey with combined active and passive case finding adopted in this study provides a better estimate than school- and health institution-based surveys which underestimate the frequency of skin wounds and, particularly, of neglected tropical diseases of the skin, such as Buruli ulcer and yaws. A comparison with country-specific WHO data suggests underreporting of Buruli ulcer cases.

mHealth-community health worker telemedicine intervention for surgical site infection diagnosis: a prospective study among women delivering via caesarean section in rural Rwanda

Background

Surgical site infections (SSIs) cause a significant global public health burden in low and middle-income countries. Most SSIs develop after patient discharge and may go undetected. We assessed the feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of an mHealth-community health worker (CHW) home-based telemedicine intervention to diagnose SSIs in women who delivered via caesarean section in rural Rwanda.

Methods

This prospective cohort study included women who underwent a caesarean section at Kirehe District Hospital between September 2019 and March 2020. At postoperative day 10 (±3 days), a trained CHW visited the woman at home, provided wound care and transmitted a photo of the wound to a remote general practitioner (GP) via WhatsApp. The GP reviewed the photo and made an SSI diagnosis. The next day, the woman returned to the hospital for physical examination by an independent GP, whose SSI diagnosis was considered the gold standard for our analysis. We describe the intervention process indicators and report the sensitivity and specificity of the telemedicine-based diagnosis.

Results

Of 787 women included in the study, 91.4% (n=719) were located at their home by the CHW and all of them (n=719, 100%) accepted the intervention. The full intervention was completed, including receipt of GP telemedicine diagnosis within 1 hour, for 79.0% (n=623). The GPs diagnosed 30 SSIs (4.2%) through telemedicine and 38 SSIs (5.4%) through physical examination. The telemedicine sensitivity was 36.8% and specificity was 97.6%. The negative predictive value was 96.4%.

Conclusions

Implementation of an mHealth-CHW home-based intervention in rural Rwanda and similar settings is feasible. Patients’ acceptance of the intervention was key to its success. The telemedicine-based SSI diagnosis had a high negative predictive value but a low sensitivity. Further studies must explore strategies to improve accuracy, such as accompanying wound images with clinical data or developing algorithms using machine learning.

Telemedicine for Surgical Site Infection Diagnosis in Rural Rwanda: Concordance and Accuracy of Image Reviews

BACKGROUND

In rural Africa where access to medical personnel is limited, telemedicine can be leveraged to empower community health workers (CHWs) to support effective postpartum home-based care after cesarean section (c-section). As a first step toward telemedicine, we assessed the sensitivity, specificity, and interrater reliability of image-based diagnosis of surgical site infections (SSIs) among women delivering via c-section at a rural Rwandan Hospital.

METHODS

Women ≥18 years who underwent c-section from March to October 2017 at Kirehe District Hospital (KDH) were enrolled. On postoperative day 10 at KDH, participants underwent a physical examination by a general practitioner, who provided a diagnosis of SSI or no SSI. Trained CHWs photographed patients' incisions and the collected images were shown to six physicians, who upon review, assigned one of the following diagnoses to each image: definite SSI, suspected SSI, suspected no SSI, and definite no SSI, which were compared with the diagnoses based on physical exam. We report the sensitivity and specificity and assessed reviewer agreement using Gwet's AC1.

RESULTS

569 images were included, with 61 women (10.7%) diagnosed with an SSI. Of the 3414 image-reviews, 49 (1.4%) could not be assigned diagnoses due to image quality. The median sensitivity and specificity were 0.83 and 0.69, respectively. The Gwet's AC1 estimate for binary classification was 0.46.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrate decent accuracy but only moderate consistency for photograph-based SSI diagnosis. Strategies to improve overall agreement include providing clinical information to accompany photographs, providing a baseline photograph for comparison, and implementing photograph-taking processes aimed at improving image quality.

Enablers and barriers to post-discharge follow-up among women who have undergone a caesarean section: experiences from a prospective cohort in rural Rwanda

Background

Caesarean sections account for roughly one third of all surgical procedures performed in low-income countries. Due to lack of standardised post-discharge follow-up protocols and practices, most of available data are extracted from clinical charts during hospitalization and are thus sub-optimal for answering post-discharge outcomes questions. This study aims to determine enablers and barriers to returning to the hospital after discharge among women who have undergone a c-section at a rural district hospital in Rwanda.

Methods

Women aged ≥ 18 years who underwent c-section at Kirehe District Hospital in rural Rwanda in the period March to October 2017 were prospectively followed. A structured questionnaire was administered to participants and clinical data were extracted from medical files between March and October 2017. At discharge, consenting women were given an appointment to return for follow-up on postoperative day 10 (POD 10) (± 3 days) and provided a voucher to cover transport and compensation for participation to be redeemed on their return. Study participants received a reminder call on the eve of their scheduled appointment. We used a backward stepwise logistic regression, at an α = 0.05 significance level, to identify enablers and barriers associated with post-discharge follow-up return.

Results

Of 586 study participants, the majority (62.6%) were between 21–30 years old and 86.4% had a phone contact number. Of those eligible, 90.4% returned for follow-up. The predictors of return were counselling by a female data collector (OR = 9.85, 95%CI:1.43–37.59) and receiving a reminder call (OR = 16.47, 95%CI:7.07–38.38). Having no insurance reduced the odds of returning to follow-up (OR = 0.03, 95%CI:0.03–0.23), and those who spent more than 10.6 Euro for transport to and from the hospital were less likely to return to follow-up (OR = 0.14, 95%CI:0.04- 0.50).

Conclusion

mHealh interventions using calls or notifications can increase the post-discharge follow-up uptake. The reminder calls to patients and discharge counselling by a gender-matching provider had a positive effect on return to care. Further interventions are needed targeting the uninsured and patients facing transportation hardship. Additionally, association between counselling of women patients by a female data collector and greater return to follow-up needs further exploration to optimize counselling procedures.

Supplementary information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-022-08137-5.

Caesarean delivery and its association with educational attainment, wealth index, and place of residence in Sub-Saharan Africa: a meta-analysis

Caesarean delivery (C-section) has been increasing worldwide; however, many women from developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are deprived of these lifesaving services. This study aimed to explore the impact of certain socioeconomic factors, including respondent's education, husband's education, place of residence, and wealth index, on C-section delivery for women in Sub-Saharan Africa. We used pooled data from 36 demographic and health surveys (DHS) in Sub-Saharan Africa. Married women aged 15-49 years who have at least one child in the last five years were considered in this survey. After inclusion and excluding criteria, 234,660 participants were eligible for final analysis. Binary logistic regression was executed to determine the effects of selected socioeconomic factors. The countries were assembled into four sub-regions (Southern Africa, West Africa, East Africa, and Central Africa), and a meta-analysis was conducted. We performed random-effects model estimation for meta-analysis to assess the overall effects and consistency between covariates and utilization of C-section delivery as substantial heterogeneity was identified (I² > 50%). Furthermore, the meta-regression was carried out to explain the additional amount of heterogeneity by country levels. We performed a sensitivity analysis to examine the effects of outliers in this study. Findings suggest that less than 15% of women in many Sub-Saharan African countries had C-section delivery. Maternal education (OR 4.12; CI 3.75, 4.51), wealth index (OR 2.05; CI 1.94, 2.17), paternal education (OR 1.71; CI 1.57, 1.86), and place of residence (OR 1.51; CI 1.44, 1.58) were significantly associated with the utilization of C-section delivery. These results were also consistent in sub-regional meta-analyses. The meta-regression suggests that the total percentage of births attended by skilled health staff (TPBASHS) has a significant inverse association with C-section utilization regarding educational attainment (respondent & husband), place of residence, and wealth index. The data structure was restricted to define the distinction between elective and emergency c-sections. It is essential to provide an appropriate lifesaving mechanism, such as C-section delivery opportunities, through proper facilities for rural, uneducated, impoverished Sub-Saharan African women to minimize both maternal and infant mortality.

Timing of maternal mortality and severe morbidity during the postpartum period

Objective:

The objective of this review was to determine the timing of overall and cause-specific maternal mortality and severe morbidity during the postpartum period.

Introduction:

Many women continue to die or experience adverse health outcomes in the postpartum period; however, limited work has explored the timing of when women die or present complications during this period globally.

Inclusion criteria:

This review considered studies that reported on women after birth up to 6 weeks postpartum and included data on mortality and/or morbidity on the first day, days 2–7, and days 8–42. Studies that reported solely on high-risk women (eg, those with antenatal or intrapartum complications) were excluded, but mixed population samples were included (eg, low-risk and high-risk women).

Methods:

MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and CINAHL were searched for published studies on December 20, 2019, and searches were updated on May 11, 2021. Critical appraisal was undertaken by 2 independent reviewers using standardized critical appraisal instruments from JBI. Quantitative data were extracted from included studies independently by at least 2 reviewers using a study-specific data extraction form. Quantitative data were pooled, where possible. Identified studies were used to obtain the summary estimate (proportion) for each time point. Maternal mortality was calculated as the maternal deaths during a given period over the total number of maternal deaths known during the postpartum period. For cause-specific analysis, number of deaths due to a specific cause was the numerator, while the total number of women who died due to the same cause in that period was the denominator. Random effects models were run to pool incidence proportion for relative risk of overall maternal deaths. Subgroup analysis was conducted according to country income classification and by date (ie, data collection before or after 2010). Where statistical pooling was not possible, the findings were reported narratively.

Results:

A total of 32 studies reported on maternal outcomes from 17 reports, all reporting on mixed populations. Most maternal deaths occurred on the first day (48.9%), with 24.5% of deaths occurring between days 2 and 7, and 24.9% occurring between days 8 and 42. Maternal mortality due to postpartum hemorrhage and embolism occurred predominantly on the first day (79.1% and 58.2%, respectively). Most deaths due to postpartum eclampsia and hypertensive disorders occurred within the first week (44.3% on day 1 and 37.1% on days 2–7). Most deaths due to infection occurred between days 8 and 42 (61.3%). Due to heterogeneity, maternal morbidity data are described narratively, with morbidity predominantly occurring within the first 2 weeks. The mean critical appraisal score across all included studies was 85.9% (standard deviation = 13.6%).

Conclusion:

Women experience mortality throughout the entire postpartum period, with the highest mortality rate on the first day. Access to high-quality care during the postpartum period, including enhanced frequency and quality of postpartum assessments during the first 42 days after birth, is essential to improving maternal outcomes and to continue reducing maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide.

Systematic review registration number:

PROSPERO CRD42020187341

Prevalence, Risk Factors and Microbial Profile of Surgical Site Infection after Cesarean Section in a Tertiary Care Center in Western India

Surgical site infection (SSI) was the predominant complication following cesarean delivery. Risk factors like increased Body Mass Index (BMI), emergency cesarean section (CS), prolonged hospital stay, previous CS, anemia, pre-existing chronic diseases, and failure to use preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis associated with SSI. Surgical site infections are responsible for cost burden, longer hospital stay increased maternal morbidity and mortality. Despite the advance, aseptic measures & control practice SSI was the most common nosocomial infection. To determine the prevalence, risk factors, bacterial profile, and antimicrobial resistance pattern of SSI in women following Cesarean section at tertiary care center western India. Women who developed SSI underwent cesarean delivery enrolled in the present study. Data were collected from patient records. Collection of swab samples, identification of microorganisms, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done by standard CLSI guidelines Results: Prevalence of SSI was 14.7% in this study. The risk factors significantly associated with SSI were emergency cesarean delivery, severe anemia, lack of preoperative antibiotics use, high Body Mass Index (BMI), preexisting disease, and previous history of CS, Klebsiella Pneumoniae & Staphylococcus aureus was the most predominant isolates. Imipenem was the most susceptible and Amoxycilline-Clavulanate was the most Resistance antibiotic. Prompt identification of risk factors, microbial agents, and susceptibility patterns of SSIs are beneficial for the selection of appropriate antimicrobial therapy to prevent the emergence of drug resistance, planning to make infection control & antibiotic policy, and taking appropriate steps to prevent risk factors.

Too many yet too few caesarean section deliveries in Bangladesh: Evidence from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys data

Caesarean section (CS) use is rising rapidly in Bangladesh, though lack of CS use remains common among disadvantage women. This increases risks of long-term obstetric complications as well as maternal and child deaths among disadvantage women. We aimed to determine the interaction effects of women's disadvantage characteristics on CS use in Bangladesh. For this we have analysed a total of 27,093 women's data extracted from five rounds of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey conducted during 2004 and 2017/18. The outcome variable was CS use, coded as use (1) and non-use (0). The major exposure variables were individual level, household level, and community level characteristics. Multilevel logistic regression model was used to determine association of CS use with socio-demographic characteristics and the interactions of three variables: working status, wealth quintile, and place of residence. We found a 751% increase of CS use over the last 13 years-from 3.88% in 2004 to 33% in 2017/18. Nearly, 80% of the total CS operation occurred in the private health facilities followed by the government health facilities (15%). Women living in rural areas with no engagement in formal income generating activities showed a 11% (OR, 0.89, 95% CI, 0.71-0.99) lower use of CS in 2004. This association was further strengthened over time, and a 51% (OR, 0.49, 0.03-0.65) lower in CS use was reported in 2017/18. Similarly, around 12%-83% lower likelihoods of CS use were found among rural poor and poorer women. These indicate Bangladesh is facing a double burden of CS use, that is a group of women with improved socio-economic condition are using this life saving procedure without medical necessity while their counterpart of disadvantage characteristics could not access the service. Improved monitoring from the government along with support to use CS services for the disadvantage groups on necessity are important.

Maternal education level and maternal healthcare utilization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: an analysis of the multiple indicator cluster survey 2017/18

Background

Understanding how socioeconomic factors influence maternal health services utilization is crucial to reducing preventable maternal deaths in the DRC. Maternal education is considered an important associate of maternal health service utilization. This study aims to investigate the association between maternal education and the utilization of maternal health services, as well as present geographical and socio-economic disparities in the utilization.

Methods

The MICS survey was employed as the data source, which is a nationally representative survey conducted from 2017 to 2018 in the DRC. The exposure for this study was the maternal education level, which was categorized into three groups: (1) below primary and none, (2) primary and (3) secondary and above. Prenatal care indicators included: if the mother ever received prenatal care, if the mother had antenatal checks no less than four times, and if a skilled attendant was present at birth. Postnatal care indicators included: if the mother received postnatal care and if the baby was checked after birth. Emergency obstetric interventions were indicted by cesarean sections. Descriptive analyses and logistic regressions were used as analytical methods.

Results

Of all 8,560 participants included, 21.88 % had below primary school or no education, 39.81 % had primary school education, and 38.31 % had secondary education or above. The majority of participants were from rural areas, except for Kinshasa. Overall, a better education was associated with higher utilization of antenatal care. A dose-response effect was also observed. Compared to women with below primary or no education, women with secondary and above education were more likely to receive cesarean sections. Wealth status, as well as rural and urban division, modified the associations.

Conclusions

Mothers’ education level is an important associate for utilizing appropriate maternal healthcare, with wealth and region as modifying factors. Educational levels should be considered when designing public health interventions and women’s empowerment programs in the DRC. For example, relevant programs need to stratify the interventions according to educational attainment.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-021-06854-x.

Outcomes of a multicomponent safe surgery intervention in Tanzania's Lake Zone: a prospective, longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Evidence-based strategies for improving surgical quality and patient outcomes in low-resource settings are a priority.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of a multicomponent safe surgery intervention (Safe Surgery 2020) on (1) adherence to safety practices, teamwork and communication, and documentation in patient files, and (2) incidence of maternal sepsis, postoperative sepsis, and surgical site infection.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective, longitudinal study in 10 intervention and 10 control facilities in Tanzania's Lake Zone, across a 3-month pre-intervention period in 2018 and 3-month post-intervention period in 2019. SS2020 is a multicomponent intervention to support four surgical quality areas: (i) leadership and teamwork, (ii) evidence-based surgery, anesthesia and equipment sterilization practices, (iii) data completeness and (iv) infrastructure. Surgical team members received training and mentorship, and each facility received up to a $10 000 infrastructure grant. Inpatients undergoing major surgery and postpartum women were followed during their stay up to 30 days. We assessed adherence to 14 safety and teamwork and communication measures through direct observation in the operating room. We identified maternal sepsis (vaginal or cesarean delivery), postoperative sepsis and SSIs prospectively through daily surveillance and assessed medical record completeness retrospectively through chart review. We compared changes in surgical quality outcomes between intervention and control facilities using difference-in-differences analyses to determine areas of impact.

RESULTS

Safety practices improved significantly by an additional 20.5% (95% confidence interval (CI), 7.2-33.7%; P = 0.003) and teamwork and communication conversations by 33.3% (95% CI, 5.7-60.8%; P = 0.02) in intervention facilities compared to control facilities. Maternal sepsis rates reduced significantly by 1% (95% CI, 0.1-1.9%; P = 0.02). Documentation completeness improved by 41.8% (95% CI, 27.4-56.1%; P < 0.001) for sepsis and 22.3% (95% CI, 4.7-39.8%; P = 0.01) for SSIs.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate the benefit of the SS2020 approach. Improvement was observed in adherence to safety practices, teamwork and communication, and data quality, and there was a reduction in maternal sepsis rates. Our results support the emerging evidence that improving surgical quality in a low-resource setting requires a focus on the surgical system and culture. Investigation in diverse contexts is necessary to confirm and generalize our results and to understand how to adapt the intervention for different settings. Further work is also necessary to assess the long-term effect and sustainability of such interventions.

Postnatal infection surveillance by telephone in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: An observational cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Maternal and newborn infections are important causes of mortality but morbidity data from low- and middle-income countries is limited. We used telephone surveillance to estimate infection incidence and risk factors in women and newborns following hospital childbirth in Dar es Salaam.

METHODS

We recruited postnatal women from two tertiary hospitals and conducted telephone interviews 7 and 28 days after delivery. Maternal infection (endometritis, caesarean or perineal wound, or urinary tract infection) and newborn infection (umbilical cord or possible severe bacterial infection) were identified using hospital case-notes at the time of birth and self-reported symptoms. Adjusted Cox regression models were used to assess the association between potential risk-factors and infection.

RESULTS

We recruited 879 women and interviewed 791 (90%). From day 0-7, 6.7% (49/791) women and 6.2% (51/762) newborns developed infection. Using full follow-up data, the infection rate was higher in women with caesarean childbirth versus women with a vaginal delivery (aHR 1.93, 95%CI 1.11-3.36). Only 24% of women received pre-operative antibiotic prophylaxis before caesarean section. Infection was higher in newborns resuscitated at birth versus newborns who were not resuscitated (aHR 4.45, 95%CI 2.10-9.44). At interview, 66% (37/56) of women and 88% (72/82) of newborns with possible infection had sought health-facility care.

CONCLUSIONS

Telephone surveillance identified a substantial risk of postnatal infection, including cases likely to have been missed by hospital-based data-collection alone. Risk of maternal endometritis and newborn possible severe bacterial infection were consistent with other studies. Caesarean section was the most important risk-factor for maternal infection. Improved implementation of pre-operative antibiotic prophylaxis is urgently required to mitigate this risk.

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.

Surgical Site Infection Following Caesarean Section by Acinetobacter Species: A Report from a Hyperendemic Setting in the Brazilian Amazon Region

Surgical site infection (SSI) following caesarean section is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and significant health care costs. This study evaluated the epidemiological, clinical, and microbiological features of Acinetobacter spp. in women with SSIs who have undergone caesarean section at a referral hospital in the Brazilian Amazon region. This study included 69 women with post-caesarean SSI by Acinetobacter spp. admitted to the hospital between January 2012 and May 2015. The 69 Acinetobacter isolates were subjected to molecular species identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, detection of carbapenemase-encoding genes, and genotyping. The main complications of post-caesarean SSI by Acinetobacter were inadequate and prolonged antibiotic therapy, sepsis, prolonged hospitalization, and re-suture procedures. A. baumannii, A. nosocomialis and A. colistiniresistens species were identified among the isolates. Carbapenem resistance was associated with OXA-23-producing A. baumannii isolates and IMP-1-producing A. nosocomialis isolate. Patients with multidrug-resistant A. baumannii infection showed worse clinical courses. Dissemination of persistent epidemic clones was observed, and the main clonal complexes (CC) for A. baumannii were CC231 and CC236 (Oxford scheme) and CC1 and CC15 (Pasteur scheme). This is the first report of a long-term Acinetobacter spp. outbreak in women who underwent caesarean section at a Brazilian hospital. This study demonstrates the impact of multidrug resistance on the clinical course of post-caesarean infections.

Incidence, risk factors and outcomes of surgical site infections among patients admitted to Jimma Medical Center, South West Ethiopia: Prospective cohort study

Background

Surgical site infections are one of the leading health care–associated infections in developing countries. Despite improvements in surgical technique and the use of best infection prevention strategies, surgical site infections remained the major cause of hospital acquired infections. Therefore, this study aimed to determine incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of surgical site infections among patients admitted to Jimma Medical Center, South West Ethiopia.

Methods

A hospital based prospective cohort study design was employed to follow adult patients admitted to general surgery ward, orthopaedic ward and gynaecologic/obstetrics ward of Jimma Medical Centre, from April 20 to August 20, 2019. All patients were followed daily before, during and after operation for 30 days to determine the incidence of surgical site infection and other outcomes. Data was entered using EpiData version 4.2 and analyzed using statistical software package for social science version 20.0. To identify the independent predictors of outcome, multiple stepwise backward cox regression analysis was done. Statistical significance was considered at p-value <0.05.

Results

Of total of 251 participants included to the study, about 126 (50.2%) of them were females. The mean ± SD age of patients was 38 ± 16.30 years. Considerable number of patients 53(21.1%) developed surgical site infections. American Society of Anaesthesiologists score ≥3 [ Adjusted Hazard Ratio (AHR) = 2.26; 95%CI = (1.03–4.93)], postoperative antibiotic prescription [AHR = 3.2; 95%CI = (1.71–6.01)], contaminated-wound [AHR = 7.9; 95%CI = (4.3–14.60)], emergency surgery [AHR = 2.8; 95% CI = (1.16–6.80)], duration of operation ≥ 2 h [AHR = 4; 95% CI = (2.17–7.50)] and comorbidity [AHR = 2.52; 95%CI = (1.28–4.94)] were independent predictors for surgical site infections. Twenty nine (11.6%) patients returned to operation room. The result of the multivariate cox regression analysis showed that SSI [AHR (95% CI) = 7(3.16–15.72)], and incision site [AHR (95% CI) = 2.5(1.14–5.42)] had statistically significant association with re-operation

Conclusion

The incidence of surgical site infection was high in the study setting. There were significant numbers of contributing factors for the occurrence of surgical site infections. Although no mortality observed during the study period, significant number of patients re-operated. Large multicenter study is urgently needed to confirm the outcome of this study.

•

Surgical site infections are one of the leading health care–associated infections in developing countries.

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Considerable number of risk factors are associated with the occurrence of surgical site infection.

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Surgical site infection is associated with increased length of hospital stay and number of patients re-operated.

The Clean pilot study: evaluation of an environmental hygiene intervention bundle in three Tanzanian hospitals

BACKGROUND

Healthcare associated infections (HAI) are estimated to affect up to 15% of hospital inpatients in low-income countries (LICs). A critical but often neglected aspect of HAI prevention is basic environmental hygiene, particularly surface cleaning and linen management. TEACH CLEAN is an educational intervention aimed at improving environmental hygiene. We evaluated the effectiveness of this intervention in a pilot study in three high-volume maternity and newborn units in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

METHODS

This study design prospectively evaluated the intervention as a whole, and offered a before-and-after comparison of the impact of the main training. We measured changes in microbiological cleanliness [Aerobic Colony Counts (ACC) and presence of Staphylococcus aureus] using dipslides, and physical cleaning action using gel dots. These were analysed with descriptive statistics and logistic regression models. We used qualitative (focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and semi-structured observation) and quantitative (observation checklist) tools to measure why and how the intervention worked. We describe these findings across the themes of adaptation, fidelity, dose, reach and context.

RESULTS

Microbiological cleanliness improved during the study period (ACC pre-training: 19%; post-training: 41%). The odds of cleanliness increased on average by 1.33 weekly during the pre-training period (CI = 1.11-1.60), and by 1.08 (CI = 1.03-1.13) during the post-training period. Cleaning action improved only in the pre-training period. Detection of S. aureus on hospital surfaces did not change substantially. The intervention was well received and considered feasible in this context. The major pitfalls in the implementation were the limited number of training sessions at the hospital level and the lack of supportive supervision. A systems barrier to implementation was lack of regular cleaning supplies.

CONCLUSIONS

The evaluation suggests that improvements in microbiological cleanliness are possible using this intervention and can be sustained. Improved microbiological cleanliness is a key step on the pathway to infection prevention in hospitals. Future research should assess whether this bundle is cost-effective in reducing bacterial and viral transmission and infection using a rigorous study design.

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.

Determinants of maternal near-miss in private hospitals in eastern Ethiopia: A nested case–control study

Objective:

Maternal near-miss refers to a woman who nearly died but survived complications in pregnancy, childbirth, or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy. The study of maternal near-miss has become essential for improving the quality of obstetric care. The objective of this study was to identify the determinants of maternal near-miss among women admitted to major private hospitals in eastern Ethiopia.

Method:

An unmatched nested case–control study was conducted in major private hospitals in eastern Ethiopia from 5 March to 31 March 2020. Cases were women who fulfilled the sub-Saharan African maternal near-miss criteria and those admitted to the same hospitals but discharged without any complications under the sub-Saharan African maternal near-miss tool were controls. For each case, three corresponding women were randomly selected as controls. Factors associated with maternal near-misses were analyzed using binary and multiple logistic regressions with an adjusted odds ratio along with a 95% confidence interval. Finally, p-value < 0.05 was considered as a cut-off point for the significant association.

Results:

A total of 432 women (108 cases and 324 controls) participated in the study. History of prior cesarean section (AOR = 4.33; 95% CI = 2.36–7.94), anemia in index pregnancy (AOR = 4.38; 95% CI = 2.43–7.91), being ⩾ 35 years of age (AOR = 2.94; 95% CI = 1.37–6.24), not attending antenatal care (AOR = 3.11; 95% CI = 1.43–6.78), and history of chronic medical disorders (AOR = 2.18; 95% CI = 1.03–4.59) were independently associated with maternal near-miss.

Conclusion:

Maternal age ⩾ 35 years, had no antenatal care, had prior cesarean section, being anemic in index pregnancy, and have history of chronic medical disorders were the determinants of maternal near-miss. Improving maternal near-misses requires strengthening antenatal care (including supplementation of iron and folic acid to reduce anemia) and prioritizing women with a history of chronic medical illnesses. Interventions for preventing primary cesarean sections are crucial in this era of the cesarean epidemic to minimize its effect on maternal near-miss.

Abdominal Cutaneous Thermography and Perfusion Mapping after Caesarean Section: A Scoping Review

Introduction: Caesarean section (CS) is the most prevalent surgical procedure in women. The incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) after CS remains high but recent observations of CS wounds using infrared thermography has shown promise for the technique in SSI prognosis. Although thermography is recognised as a 'surrogate' of skin perfusion, little is known of the relationship between skin temperature and skin perfusion in the context of wound healing. Aim: To assess the extent of literature regarding the application of infrared thermography and mapping of abdominal cutaneous perfusion after CS. Methods: Wide eligibility criteria were used to capture all relevant studies of any design, published in English, and addressing thermal imaging or skin perfusion mapping of the abdominal wall. The CINAHL and MEDLINE databases were searched, with two independent reviewers screening the title and abstracts of all identified citations, followed by full-text screening of relevant studies. Data extraction from included studies was undertaken using a pre-specified data extraction chart. Data were tabulated and synthesised in narrative format. Results: From 83 citations identified, 18 studies were considered relevant. With three additional studies identified from the reference lists, 21 studies were screened via full text. None of the studies reported thermal imaging and cutaneous perfusion patterns of the anterior abdominal wall. However, two observational studies partially met the inclusion criteria. The first explored analysis methodologies to 'interrogate' the abdominal thermal map. A specific thermal signature ('cold spots') was identified as an early 'flag' for SSI risk. A second study, by the same authors, focusing on obesity (a known risk factor for SSI after CS) showed that a 1 °C lower abdominal skin temperature led to a 3-fold odds of SSI. Conclusion: There is a significant gap in knowledge on how to forewarn of wound complications after CS. By utilising the known association between skin temperature and blood flow, thermographic assessment of the wound and adjacent thermal territories has potential as a non-invasive, independent, imaging option with which to identify tissue 'at risk'. By identifying skin 'hot' or 'cold' spots, commensurate with high or low blood flow regions, there is potential to shed light on the underlying mechanisms leading to infective and non-infective wound complications.

Implementation of surgical site infection surveillance in low- and middle-income countries: A position statement for the International Society for Infectious Diseases

Surgical site infection (SSI) rates in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) range from 8 to 30% of procedures, making them the most frequent healthcare-acquired infection (HAI) with substantial morbidity, mortality, and economic impacts. Presented here is an approach to surgical site infection prevention based on surveillance and focused on five critical areas identified by international experts. These five areas include

1. Collecting valid, high-quality data;

2. Linking HAIs to economic incapacity, underscoring the need to prioritize infection prevention activities;

3. Implementing SSI surveillance within infection prevention and control (IPC) programs to enact structural changes, develop procedural skills, and alter healthcare worker behaviors;

4. Prioritizing IPC training for healthcare workers in LMICs to conduct broad-based surveillance and to develop and implement locally applicable IPC programs; and

5. Developing a highly accurate and objective international system for defining SSIs, which can be translated globally in a straightforward manner.

Finally, we present a clear, unambiguous framework for successful SSI guideline implementation that supports developing sustainable IPC programs in LMICs. This entails

1. Identifying index operations for targeted surveillance;

2. Identifying IPC “champions” and empowering healthcare workers;

3. Using multimodal improvement measures;

4. Positioning hand hygiene programs as the basis for IPC initiatives;

5. Use of telecommunication devices for surveillance and healthcare outcome follow-ups.

Additionally, special considerations for pediatric SSIs, antimicrobial resistance development, and antibiotic stewardship programs are addressed.

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.

Global Health and Surgical Infection: From Neglect to Emerging Frontier

Background: In past decades, surgical site infections (SSIs) were neglected and not given much global attention in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The risk and incidence of SSIs in LMICs continue to increase. Methods: We reviewed the limited quality data on SSIs and complicated intra-abdominal infections in these settings that have hampered advocacy and infection prevention and control efforts. Results: This review identifies the rising profile of global surgery that has resulted in efforts to scale up access to surgical care as well as increase surgical volumes to address unmet needs. The fallout of these efforts would be increasing SSI rates and a rising volume of laparotomies for intra-abdominal infections. Conclusion: Surgical infections are an emerging frontier in global health and surgery. There is an urgent need for global advocacy and investments in their prevention and control.

Maternal caesarean section infection (MACSI) in Sierra Leone: a case-control study

Sierra Leone is the country with highest maternal mortality and infections are the underlying cause in 11% of maternal deaths, but the real burden remains unknown. This study aims to determine the incidence and risk factors of surgical site infection (SSI) post-caesarean section (CS) in women admitted to Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH) in Freetown, Sierra Leone. A prospective case–control (1:3 ratio) study was implemented from 1 May 2018 to 30 April 2019 and 11 women presenting with suspected or confirmed infection post-CS were screened for inclusion as a case. For each case, three patients undergoing CS on the same day and admitted to the same ward, but not presenting with SSI, were selected as controls. The post-CS infection rate was 10.9%. Two hundred and fifty-four clinically confirmed cases were enrolled and matched with 762 control patients. By multivariable analysis, the risk factors for SSI were: being single (odds ratio (OR) 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.36–1.66), low education level (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.55–1.84), previous CS (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.10–1.52), presenting with premature membranes rupture (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.18–1.88), a long decision–incision time (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.74–2.24) and a high missing post-CS antibiotic doses rate (OR 2.52, 95% CI 2.10–2.85).

Incidence of maternal peripartum infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Infection is an important, preventable cause of maternal morbidity, and pregnancy-related sepsis accounts for 11% of maternal deaths. However, frequency of maternal infection is poorly described, and, to our knowledge, it remains the one major cause of maternal mortality without a systematic review of incidence. Our objective was to estimate the average global incidence of maternal peripartum infection.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

We searched Medline, EMBASE, Global Health, and five other databases from January 2005 to June 2016 (PROSPERO: CRD42017074591). Specific outcomes comprised chorioamnionitis in labour, puerperal endometritis, wound infection following cesarean section or perineal trauma, and sepsis occurring from onset of labour until 42 days postpartum. We assessed studies irrespective of language or study design. We excluded conference abstracts, studies of high-risk women, and data collected before 1990. Three reviewers independently selected studies, extracted data, and appraised quality. Quality criteria for incidence/prevalence studies were adapted from the Joanna Briggs Institute. We used random-effects models to obtain weighted pooled estimates of incidence risk for each outcome and metaregression to identify study-level characteristics affecting incidence. From 31,528 potentially relevant articles, we included 111 studies of infection in women in labour or postpartum from 46 countries. Four studies were randomised controlled trials, two were before-after intervention studies, and the remainder were observational cohort or cross-sectional studies. The pooled incidence in high-quality studies was 3.9% (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.8%-6.8%) for chorioamnionitis, 1.6% (95% CI 0.9%-2.5%) for endometritis, 1.2% (95% CI 1.0%-1.5%) for wound infection, 0.05% (95% CI 0.03%-0.07%) for sepsis, and 1.1% (95% CI 0.3%-2.4%) for maternal peripartum infection. 19% of studies met all quality criteria. There were few data from developing countries and marked heterogeneity in study designs and infection definitions, limiting the interpretation of these estimates as measures of global infection incidence. A limitation of this review is the inclusion of studies that were facility-based or restricted to low-risk groups of women.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we observed pooled infection estimates of almost 4% in labour and between 1%-2% of each infection outcome postpartum. This indicates maternal peripartum infection is an important complication of childbirth and that preventive efforts should be increased in light of antimicrobial resistance. Incidence risk appears lower than modelled global estimates, although differences in definitions limit comparability. Better-quality research, using standard definitions, is required to improve comparability between study settings and to demonstrate the influence of risk factors and protective interventions.