title: The effect of hospital infection control policy on the prevalence of surgical site infection in a tertiary hospital in South-South Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a significant cause of morbidity, emotional stress and financial cost to the affected patients and health care institutions; and infection control policy has been shown to reduce the burden of SSIs in several health care institutions. This study assessed the effects of the implementation of the policy on the prevalence of SSI in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of the records of all Caesarean sections carried out in the hospital, before and 2 years after the implementation of the infection control policy was conducted. Data collected include the number and characteristics of the patients that had Caesarean section in the hospital during the period and those that developed SSI while on admission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportion of patients with SSI decreased from 13.33% to 10.34%, 2 years after the implementation of the policy (P-value = 0.18). The implementation of the policy did not also result in any statistically significant change in the nature of the wound infection (P-value = 0.230), in the schedule of the operations (P-value = 0.93) and in the other predisposing factors of the infections (P-value = 0.72); except for the significant decrease in the infection rate among the un-booked patients (P-value = 0.032).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The implementation of the policy led to a small decrease in SSI, due to the non-implementation of some important aspects of the WHO policy. The introduction of surveillance activities, continuous practice reinforcing communications and environmental sanitation are recommended to further decrease the prevalence of SSI in the hospital.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Seiyefa Fun-Akpa
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Brisibe
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Best
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ordinioha
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Services, University of Education, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Precious K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Gbeneolol
keywords: Hospital infection control policy; Nigeria; Port Harcourt; hospital infection control committee; surgical site infection; teaching hospital