title: Incidence of hospital-acquired infections associated with caesarean section.
abstract: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to determine the incidence of post-caesarean infections in a Canadian community teaching hospital using computer algorithms designed for the diagnosis of nosocomial infections. Inferential chart review was done on 1335 women delivered by lower-segment caesarean section (793 primary and 542 secondary) at the Calgary General Hospital between January 1985 and April 1988. The overall infection rates were 42.1 and 46.1% for women delivered by primary and secondary caesarean section, respectively. Incisional surgical wound infection accounted for the largest proportion of post-caesarean infections found. Women delivered by primary caesarean section had significantly higher rates of endometritis, deep surgical wound infection and bacteraemia than those delivered by secondary section. All types of post-caesarean infection, except asymptomatic bacteriuria, caused the duration of the post-partum hospital stay to be significantly increased.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Love
mesh_terms: D000416:Alberta / Q000453:epidemiology; D000465:Algorithms; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017604:Cesarean Section, Repeat / Q000009:adverse effects; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology