Surgical Site Infections: Risk factors, aerobic bacteriological profile and it's antibiogram in a tertiary care hospital, Visakhapatnam-A Retrospective study

Introduction: Surgical site Infections (SSIs) are one of the most common Hospital acquired or Nosocomial infections which leads to significant post-operative morbidity and mortality, prolonged hospital stay and increase in the economic burden to the patients. Despite advances in surgical techniques and surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis, SSIs continue to pose a challenge, particularly with the emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms even in the hospitals with most advanced settings. Surveillance of SSIs, analysis of risk factors and knowledge on local antibiogram patterns of the bacterial isolates is essential for effective prevention and management. Methodology: This retrospective observational study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology of a tertiary care hospital in Visakhapatnam over a period of two years (October 2023–October 2025). All patients who underwent major elective or emergency surgeries and subsequently developed SSIs as identified under hospital-acquired infection surveillance were included. Demographic details, type of surgery, wound classification, and associated risk factors were analyzed. Bacterial isolates from SSI samples and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns were retrieved from hospital records. Data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Results: Out of 4,395 surgeries performed during the study period, 46 cases of SSI were identified, giving an infection rate of 1.04%. SSIs were more common in females (80.4%) and in clean-contaminated surgeries (78.3%). Anaemia (26%) and diabetes mellitus were the most frequent risk factors. Gram-negative organisms predominated, with Escherichia coli being the most common isolate (41%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (21%) and Klebsiella species (17%). Gram-negative isolates showed higher sensitivity to Gentamicin and Meropenem, while Gram-positive isolates were uniformly sensitive to Linezolid and Teicoplanin. Discussion: The low SSI rate reflects effective infection control practices. Identification of predominant pathogens, risk factors, and antibiogram patterns highlights the importance of targeted preventive strategies and periodic surveillance to further reduce SSIs.