One in every three patients gets some form of surgical site infection (SSI) in Bhutan, found a study carried out by a surgical resident of the Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences (KGUMS).
Surgical site infection refers to any infection of the wound following a surgery.
The study findings were presented at the fourth international conference on medical and health sciences held in Thimphu.
The surgical site infection is caused by two factors – patient’s characteristics such as consumption of alcohol, tobacco and medicines among others and by hospital staff’s hygiene, instrument and Operation Theatre (OT) sterility.
As per the study, SSI in Bhutan is mostly associated with the later factors. The infections can range from minor to life threatening.
“I looked mostly into patient’s characteristics. We did not find any significant statistical association. So, with that we can only assume that it could be due to exogenous factor, which is techniques used in operation and the care of the wound by the patient,” Dr. Sonam Jamtsho, a Surgical Resident with KGUMS, said.
“It is very important for the patients as well as the health officials to have a frequent follow up and care and explain to the patient properly before they are discharged from the hospitals,” he added.
However, he added the high incidences of the infection are as much an opportunity as it is a problem. It calls for health workers to work as a team with patients to bring down its incidence by following updated infection control protocols strictly.
De-roofing and drainage of liver cyst, appendectomy and kidney stone removal are some of the surgeries that put patients at more risk of surgical site infections.
