Abstract

This study aimed at establishing the risk factors of surgical site infections among post-operative
patients at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital. This was a cross-sectional and analytical study
of 129 people operated on during the period of April – June 2022. Logistic regression was used
to study the factors associated with surgical site infections. The associations between the
dependent variable and the other variables were assessed by the odds ratio (OR) followed by
their 95% confidence interval. The prevalence of surgical site infections was 7.81% CI 95% =
(5.12–10.51). The factors linked to the surgical site infections in the studied population were the
patient and post admission method [OR = 2.74; 95% CI = (1.08–6.95)] and the length of the
postoperative stay [OR = 8.75; 95% CI = (2.83–26.98)]. The PI and direct observation identified
health care system dysfunctions, medical errors, patient monitoring and financial unavailability as factors that could favor the onset of surgical site infections. Interventions should be focused on the factors identified for the effective management of operated patients