title: Surgical site infections in an abdominal surgical ward at Kosovo Teaching Hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Abdominal surgical site infections (SSI) cause substantial morbidity and mortality for patients undergoing operative procedures. We determined the incidence of and risk factors for SSI after abdominal surgery in the Department of Abdominal Surgery at the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo (UCCK).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective surveillance of patients undergoing abdominal surgery was performed between December 2005 and June 2006. CDC definitions were followed to detect SSI and study forms were based on Europe Link for Infection Control through Surveillance (HELICS) protocol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 253 surgical interventions in 225 patients were evaluated. The median age of patients was 42 years and 55.1% of them were male. The overall incidence rate of SSI was 12%. Follow-up was achieved for 84.1% of the procedures. For patients with an SSI, the median duration of hospitalization was 9 days compared with 4 days for those without an SSI (p2, use of antibiotic prophylaxis and NNIS class of >2 were all significant at p < .001. The SSI rates for the NNIS System risk classes 0, 1 and 2-3 were 4.2%, 46.7% and 100%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SSI caused considerable morbidity among surgical patients in UCCK. Appropriate active surveillance and infection control measures should be introduced during preoperative, intra-operative, and postoperative care to reduce infection rates.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Public Health of Kosova, Prishtina, Kosova. lulraka@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Lul
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Raka
authors.forename: Avdyl
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krasniqi
authors.forename: Faton
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hoxha
authors.forename: Ruustem
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Musa
authors.forename: Gjyle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mulliqi
authors.forename: Selvete
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krasniqi
authors.forename: Arsim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurti
authors.forename: Antigona
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dervishaj
authors.forename: Beqir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nuhiu
authors.forename: Baton
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kelmendi
authors.forename: Dalip
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Limani
authors.forename: Ilir
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tolaj
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D015022:Yugoslavia / Q000453:epidemiology