WOUND-INFECTION SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM AT T HE NATIONAL-CANCER-INSTITUTE OF MEXICO

Objectives. To evaluate the results of a prospective wound infection s urveillance program during its first semester of operation, and to ana lyse the risk factors associated to wound infection. Methods and desig n. From January 01 to June 30 1993, 1103 surgeries were prospectively followed. The incidence rates of infection were calculated and a case control analysis was done to evaluate the associated risk factors to P OWI (postoperative wound infection). Setting. An oncological tertiary- care center. Results. The POWI rate was 9.0 per 100 surgeries. By univ ariate analysis the associated risk factors were: obesity (OR = 2.07 C l95% = 1.19-3.64), one drainage (OR = 2.10 CI = 1.33-3.31), two draina ges (OR = 3.14 CI = 1.85-5.26), length of stay of the drainage (patien ts with wound infection: 15.2 +/- 6.7 days vs. patients without wound infection: 8.2 +/- 6.6 days), duration of operation (patients with wou nd infection: 188 +/- 163 minutes vs. patients without wound infection : 122 +/- 127 minutes) and duration of preoperative hospitalization (p atients with wound infection: 2.9 +/- 6.4 days vs. patients without wo und infection: 1.5 +/- 3.0 days). The associated risk factors by regre ssion analysis were: obesity (OR = 1.93 Cf = 1.08-3.43), two drainages (OR = 2.09 CI = 1.03-4.05) duration of operation > = 120 minutes (OR = 1.96 CI = 1.00-3.86) and duration of preoperative hospitalization (O R = 1.03 CI = 1.00-1.09). Conclusions. The program showed a previous u nder-reporting of POWI from 4.2-4.8 per 100 surgeries in the previous seven years to 9.0 in the first semester of operation. It also identif ied the associated risk factors to POWI in our institution.