Cross-sectional study on surgical site infections and adherence to intraoperative sterile protocols.

Despite advancements in surgical care, surgical site infections (SSIs) continue to contribute significantly to postoperative morbidity. Hence, we evaluated 150 surgical cases over six months at a tertiary care center to assess SSI prevalence and intraoperative sterile practice adherence. An overall SSI rate of 12.7% was noted, predominantly in gastrointestinal and emergency surgeries. Key contributing factors included prolonged operation time, inadequate sterilization, and poor adherence to sterile protocols. The findings underscore the need for stringent infection control practices to reduce SSIs and improve surgical outcomes.