THE RELATIONSHIP OF POST-CAESAREAN SECTION PATIENTS' KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WOUND CARE WITH THE INCIDENCE OF SURGICAL SITE INFECTIONS AT MITRA PLUMBON INDRAMAYU HOSPITAL

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are infections resulting from surgical
procedures that can increase morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of SSIs varies
between 10-20% in developing countries. The causes of SSIs are both internal and external,
one of which is how to care for cesarean section wounds. Compliance with wound care is
related to the wound healing process. The purpose of this study was to determine the
relationship between post-cesarean section patients' knowledge of wound care and the
incidence of surgical site infections at Mitra Plumbon Hospital in Indramayu.
Methods: This is a quantitative, descriptive, correlative cross-sectional study. The
population was post-cesarean section patients. Sampling was conducted using simple
random sampling with a sample of 58 patients, with univariate and bivariate analyses using
the Chi-Square test.
The results showed that 48.3% of respondents had good knowledge about wound care.
31.0% had adequate knowledge, and 20.7% had poor knowledge. Surgical site infections
occurred in 2 (3.4%), while 56 (96.6%) did not experience surgical site infections. There
was a correlation between knowledge of wound care and the incidence of post-cesarean
section surgical site infections (p-value 0.019).
Conclusion: There is a correlation between knowledge of wound care and the incidence of
post-cesarean section surgical site infections. Therefore, it is recommended that
promotional and educational efforts be increased to ensure proper wound care and
maintain wound area cleanliness and personal hygiene to prevent infection.