Comparative analysis of Surgical site infection rates in operation theaters with and without fumigation: A study from Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a major problem in health care affecting increased morbidity, prolonged stay hospital and higher cost of care. In numerous low-resource environments, enviromental cleanliness remains a challenge, leading to the endemic of SSIs. OT fumigation is a vital sterilization practice that might limit the occurrence of these infections by decreasing microbial contamination.

Objective: This study is designed to compare the rates of SSI in fumigated and non-fumigated OTs at hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. Moreover, it also aims to explore whether the rate of fumigation has any association with infection control efficacy against multi-drug resistant strains, accounting for the microbiological profiles of SSIs as well as the views of hospital personnel about fumigation practices.

Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted at 30 hospitals of Lahore. Over a span of two months, data was collected from two kinds of OTs, with one being routinely fumigated while the other was non-fumigated, which included a total of 250 postoperative patients. Demographic characteristics, incidence of SSI, and frequency of fumigation were acquired quantitative data. Microbiological analyses were conducted to determine which were the predominant pathogens isolated from SSI cases and to assess hospital staff’s perceptions regarding the effectiveness of fumigation in maintaining OT sterility through survey questionnaires.

Conclusion: These findings lend support for the hypothesis that routine fumigation leads to significant decreases in the rates of SSI. A positive correlation between higher frequency of fumigation and positive infection control outcomes indicates the necessity of incorporating fumigation into daily OT sterilization protocols especially in resource constraint scenarios.