Assessing management practices as predictors of surgical site infection among post-operative patients: An interdisciplinary approach

Surgical site infections (SSIs) remain among the leading healthcare-associated infections worldwide and continue to compromise postoperative recovery through prolonged hospitalization, increased healthcare costs, reoperations, and preventable mortality. This study assessed these management practices as predictors of surgical site infection among postoperative patients at Edo State University Teaching Hospital, Auchi. A hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 115 postoperative patients selected using stratified random sampling, of whom 95 completed the study questionnaires and were included in the final analysis. Data were collected using a structured, validated questionnaire that captured demographic characteristics, perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis practices, postoperative wound care management, hand hygiene practices, and surgical site infection outcomes. Surgical site infection occurred in 21 of the 95 postoperative patients, giving a prevalence of 22.1%. Delayed or inappropriate timing of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis was significantly associated with SSI occurrence (p < 0.05). Likewise, deficiencies in postoperative wound care management, including inappropriate wound dressing practices and poor adherence to aseptic wound care protocols, significantly predicted postoperative infection (p < 0.05). Inadequate hand hygiene compliance before wound handling was also significantly associated with increased SSI risk (p < 0.05). Perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis timing, postoperative wound care management, and hand hygiene compliance are significant management practice predictors of surgical site infection among postoperative patients. These findings provide practical evidence for hospital administrators, surgeons, nurses, and infection prevention teams to guide targeted quality improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing patient safety in tertiary healthcare facilities.