Abstract

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is a microbial infection of the surgical wound during 30 days of any procedure or within 1 year after the operation. More than 1,600 operations are performed in Makkah during Hajj every year. Many studies have examined SSI awareness internationally, but to the best of our knowledge, no studies were conducted in Makkah. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of knowledge about SSI among surgical staff in King Abdullah Medical City (KAMC) during Hajj.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the awareness and the level of knowledge of SSI among the surgical staff in KAMC who had served in the healthcare provider team during the Hajj season of 2019 using a 20-item anonymous multiple-choice questionnaire.
Result: About 39.2% of the respondents had poor knowledge, while only 13.7% had good knowledge. There was a relationship between years of experience and level of knowledge. Surgical subspecialty was not associated with the level of knowledge. Almost 20% of the respondents did not recognize the SSI definition. There was no association between surgical subspecialty and the level of knowledge. Doctors were more aware than nurses about epidemiological questions. The age of surgical staff was associated with the level of knowledge.
Conclusion: The level of knowledge among surgical staff needs reinforcement on a larger scale, thus we recommend proper awareness courses regarding SSI.

Key words: Surgical Site Infection, Surgical Staff, knowledge, Awareness, Hajj