A prospective study of surgical site infections in a pediatric hospital in Mexico City.
BACKGROUND
Pediatric surgical site infection (SSI) rates in the United States range from 2.5% to 4.4%. There is little data regarding their risk factors among children. We quantified SSI rates and identified risk factors of SSI in a tertiary care pediatric teaching hospital in Mexico City.


METHODS
All neurosurgical, cardiovascular, and general surgical patients who underwent operation between Aug 1, 1998, and Jan 31, 1999, were followed-up daily during hospitalization. On postoperative day 30, a full review of microbiology reports and medical records was performed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done to identify risk factors.


RESULTS
Four hundred twenty-eight of 530 children completed follow-up. The overall SSI rate was 18.7%. Forty percent of SSI were superficial incisional, 21% were deep incisional, and 39% were organ/space infections. For clean, clean-contaminated, contaminated, and dirty procedures, SSI infection rates were 12.4%, 24.4%, 14.3%, and 32.4%, respectively. Open drains (OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.3-4.2; P <.005) and surgery that lasted 90 or more minutes (OR = 2.9; 95% CI = 1.6-5.1; P <.001) were associated with infection.


CONCLUSIONS
Our rates are greater than comparable reported data among children. Duration of surgery and use of open drains were associated with SSI.
Porras-Hernández
Juan D
JD
Departamento de Cirugía, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez.
Vilar-Compte
Diana
D
Cashat-Cruz
Miguel
M
Ordorica-Flores
Ricardo M
RM
Bracho-Blanchet
Eduardo
E
Avila-Figueroa
Carlos
C
D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000009:adverse effects; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control