Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic on Surgical Site Infection in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease—A Monocentric, Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

(1) Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a relevant problem with a 25% incidence rate after elective laparotomy due to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether stricter hygienic measures during the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the rate of SSI. (2) Methods: This is a monocentric, retrospective cohort study comparing the rate of SSI in patients with bowel resection due to IBD during COVID-19 (1 March 2020-15 December 2021) to a cohort pre-COVID-19 (1 February 2015-25 May 2018). (3) Results: The rate of SSI in IBD patients with bowel resection was 25.8% during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to 31.8% pre-COVID-19 (OR 0.94; 95% CI 0.40-2.20; p = 0.881). There were seventeen (17.5%) superficial and four (4.1%) deep incisional and organ/space SSIs, respectively, during the COVID-19 pandemic (p = 0.216). There were more postoperative intra-abdominal abscesses during COVID-19 (7.2% vs. 0.9%; p = 0.021). The strictness of hygienic measures (mild, medium, strict) had no influence on the rate of SSI (p = 0.553). (4) Conclusions: Hygienic regulations in hospitals during COVID-19 did not significantly reduce the rate of SSI in patients with bowel resection due to IBD. A ban on surgery, whereby only emergency surgery was allowed, was likely to delay surgery and exacerbate the disease, which probably contributed to more SSIs and postoperative complications.