Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a prevalent issue in healthcare, impacting both patients and healthcare systems alike. Particularly, infections following cesarean sections pose significant concerns as they can lead to extended hospital stays, higher associated costs, and compromised patient health. This is more prevalent in low-to-middle income countries where incidence rates are higher due to more constraints in resources and healthcare practices.
A study was conducted in the obstetrics and gynecology departments of University Hospital and Shebin El-Kom Teaching Hospitals in Egypt. Utilizing a quasi-experimental research design, the study aimed to assess the impact of a surgical care bundle on post-cesarean wound infections.
One hundred conveniently selected women participated in the study, divided into two groups through a simple randomization method. The first group received standard healthcare, whereas the second group received an evidence-based surgical care package devised by the researchers.
The surgical care bundle implemented included a variety of processes such as trimming pubic hair, cleaning the skin with chlorhexidine gluconate before surgery, hand scrubbing, appropriate antibiotic administration, and proper postoperative wound dressing. The goal was to decrease the risk of cesarean section wound infections.
Results from the study demonstrated that all of the patients in the intervention group had healthy wounds noted 48 hours post-surgery, in contrast to only 80% in the control group. These findings support the implementation of surgical care bundles as a way of reducing the risk and incidence of post-cesarean wound infections. However, the research also emphasizes the need for standardized implementation and evaluation of such interventions within routine clinical practice.
Through executing surgical care bundle applications pre-, during, and post-cesarean procedures, it is feasible to suppress cases of wound infection following cesarean sections. In addition, the research findings present the possibility of incorporating these bundles into broader surgical quality programs, especially considering the increasing cesarean section rates in countries like Egypt.
Despite the recent advances in infection control, SSIs persist as a noteworthy problem in healthcare facilities globally. As such, widespread implementation of surgical care bundles could serve as a vital tool in the fight against post-operative infections. Addressing this issue is critical not just for the sake of patient health, but also in terms of managing healthcare costs and resource allocation. Hence, continued research and practice into enhancing surgical care methods and protocols are of the utmost importance.
Source: https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12905-025-03771-7