title: Effect of stoma location on the incidence of surgical site infections in colorectal surgery patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between ostomy location and the incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) in colorectal surgery patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective comparison cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample comprised 25 adult inpatients with colorectal cancer managed surgically. All participants underwent stoma site marking before surgery. Persons undergoing emergency stoma creation and those requiring reconstruction of stomas were excluded. Subjects were recruited by WOC nurses at 6 facilities with outpatient clinics operated by WOC nurses and infection control nurses. All facilities were located in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six WOC nurses and 6 infection control nurses collected data including participant demographics, types of surgery, and occurrence of SSIs. Participants were prospectively observed for 30 days following surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Surgical site infections occurred in 9 out of 25 study participants (36%). Specifically, infections were reported at a rate of 43.8% (n = 7) and 36% (n = 2) with colon and rectal surgery, respectively. Inferential statistical analysis revealed no association between the likelihood of SSI and the distance between abdominal incision and the newly created intestinal ostomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on these findings, we concluded that the distance between the location of stoma and the abdominal midline incision is not a significant risk factor for development of an SSI among postcolorectal surgery patients.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School, International University of Health and Welfare, Japan. hiromin4@mail.goo.ne.jp
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Hanako
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Misao
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003107:Colorectal Surgery; D003125:Colostomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*