Prevalence And Factors Associated With Surgical Site Infection In Patients Undergoing Hepatopancreaticobiliary Surgery, a Prospective Multi-Centric Cross-Sectional Study in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

BackgroundSurgical site infections are potentially preventable complications following surgery and impose a significant burden in terms of patient morbidity, mortality, increased cost of treatment, and diminished quality of life for patients. The prevalence of SSIs in hepatopancreatobiliary surgery varies widely across different studies and settings. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with SSIs in HPB surgery in selected hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. MethodsThis hospital-based prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in three major hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Yekatit 12 Specialized Hospital, and Menelik II Specialized Hospital. The study took place over a period of 6 months. It commenced on January 10, 2025 and concluded on June 30 2025. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the associations of SSI in hepato-pancreaticobiliary surgery patients with each independent variable. ResultsA total of 150 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 49.99 years, with females accounting for 62% of the participants. Ninety-six percent of surgeries were elective. Surgical site infections (SSIs) occurred in 27 patients (18.0%), the most common of whom presented with superficial incisional infections (14.0%). The average time to SSI onset was 6.9 days post-operatively. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that coagulopathy (AOR = 14.604; 95% CI: 1.068-199.769; p = 0.045), the presence of jaundice (AOR = 6.214; 95% CI: 2.180-17.714; p = 0.001), and postoperative hospital stay (AOR = 1.202; 95% CI: 1.058-1.366; p = 0.005) were independently associated with an increased risk of SSI. ConclusionThe duration of stay in the hospital was a major factor in our study to impact the prevalence of surgical site infections; hence, it is important to carefully decide when to admit a patient and when to discharge.