Whenever a person in our country conducts an operation in the hospital, his family takes care of him with full hope and blessings. But many times it has been observed that after the operation, swelling occurs on the stitches, pain increases, or pus begins to come out. It is called "wound cooked" in common language(Indian mostly), but in medical language it is called surgical site infection (SSI).
This infection takes place at the place after the operation where the surgery is performed. This is a serious problem that affects the patient's health as well as the economic condition.
What is surgical site infection?
When surgery is performed on any part of the body, from the upper layer of the skin to the inner organs. In such a situation, if there is a slight carelessness in cleanliness or caution, then bacteria enter the wound and cause infection there. This can open stitches, pus can come out of the wound, fever can come and sometimes there is a chance of being hospitalized again.
Why is there no awareness about this?
Often in villages and small cities, people believe that "the operation has succeeded, but the wound is cooked, it is common." But this is a misconception. SSI is not a common, but a prevention problem. Lack of awareness, lack of information, and non -compliance of guidelines in hospitals are the main reasons behind this.
What are the symptoms of infection?
- Redness
- Persistent pain or burning sensation
- Pus or blood leakage
- Fever or shiver
- Smell
If any such symptoms appear within 30 days of the operation, the doctor should be contacted immediately.
What can cause harm?
Effect on health - The patient has to give antibiotics again, many times again surgery has to be done, and recovery takes more time.
Economic burden - The cost of treatment increases manifold due to medicines, testing and recruitment.
Mental stress - The patient and his family are mentally stressed because they feel that everything will be alright after the operation, but suddenly this new problem comes.
Threat to life - If the infection becomes serious and spreads to other parts of the body, it can also be fatal.
How can SSI be protected?
This infection can be stopped, it is important to take care of some things:
- The entire body should be cleaned with soap before the operation.
- Nursing staff and doctor in the hospital should adopt the correct process of washing hands before and after the operation.
- Sterilization of surgical devices should be properly.
- The wound bandage should be changed from time to time and explained to the patient not to touch it with dirty hand.
- Conditions like smoking and diabetes should be brought under control before the operation as they increase the risk of infection.
Role of patient and family
People think that this is only the job of a doctor or nurse, but it is important to understand that the role of the patient and his family is also important:
- Listen and follow the advice before and after the operation.
- Wound cleaning, bandage, taking medicines - be careful in everyone.
- Immediately inform the doctor on any unusual symptoms.
- Keep your hands clean and do not touch the wound again and again.
Responsibility of government and hospitals
The government should provide health education to people in small cities and villages. Awareness should be spread through posters, radio, TV and social media on precautions related to operation. Infection Control Teams should be made active in the hospital and ensure that the guidelines of WHO or NABH are ensured.
Conclusion
Surgical site infection is not common. This is a serious but stopped problem. For this, we have to make efforts together - doctors, nurses, patients, family and society - the role of all is important. With correct information, cleanliness, and vigilance, we can prevent this problem to a great extent.
Remember, paying attention to the wound in time can save life. If we keep a little awareness, then we can protect not only ourselves, but also many more people of the society from infection.
