Incidence of Surgical Site Infection After Elective and Emergency Abdominal Surgeries: A Prospective Comparative Study.

Background Surgical site infection (SSI) is a common postoperative complication associated with increased morbidity, mortality, prolonged hospitalization, and increased healthcare costs. This study assessed the incidence, microbiological profile, factors associated with SSI, and postoperative outcomes among patients undergoing elective and emergency abdominal surgeries. Methods A prospective comparative observational study was conducted among 100 adult patients undergoing abdominal surgery at a tertiary care hospital, comprising 50 patients undergoing elective surgery and 50 undergoing emergency surgery. Participants were followed for 30 days postoperatively for the development of SSI. Demographic and clinical characteristics, microbiological findings, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, response to antibiotic therapy, and clinical outcomes were recorded. Associations between selected demographic and clinical characteristics and SSI were assessed using the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, as appropriate. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results SSI occurred in 30 (30.0%) patients overall, including 18 (36.0%) patients undergoing emergency surgery and 12 (24.0%) undergoing elective surgery. Escherichia coli was the most frequently isolated organism (14; 46.7%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (10; 33.3%). Among the patients who developed SSI, 24 (80.0%) showed sensitivity to the tested antibiotics, whereas 6 (20.0%) showed resistance. A clinical response to broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy was observed in 17 (56.7%) patients, whereas 13 (43.3%) did not respond adequately. Overall, 82 (82.0%) patients were discharged, and 18 (18.0%) died during the study period. No statistically significant association was observed between SSI and surgery type, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wound classification, age group, past history, or comorbidities (p > 0.05). Conclusion SSI occurred in both elective and emergency abdominal surgery groups, with a numerically higher incidence in the emergency group. Escherichia coli was the predominant organism isolated from SSI cases. No significant associations were observed between SSI and the demographic, clinical, and selected surgical characteristics assessed. Further studies incorporating comprehensive perioperative factors and multivariable analysis are warranted to identify independent predictors of SSI.