A prospective study was performed between April 1, 1991 and April 30, 1992 to determine factors involved in the development of post-Caesarean section wound infection. During this period there were 4,857 deliveries, 428 by Caesarean section (8.8%). Complete data were available on 328 (76.6%) patients. Wound infection occurred in 25.3% of women and was confirmed by positive bacteriology in 77.1%; 36% of wound infections were diagnosed following the patients' discharge from hospital. A negative correlation was found between maternal age and development of wound infection up to age 40 (p = 0.03). Maternal weight was a highly significant indicator of subsequent wound infection development (p = 0.0001), the relationship between increasing maternal weight and infection appearing linear. Antibiotic prophylaxis was found to be the most significant protective factor (p = 0.0007) in the reduction of postoperative wound infection. This relationship was independent of maternal weight.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.