role of early mobilization in the prevention of post operative wound infection after lower extremity orthopedic surgeries

To determine effects of early mobilization in reducing post operative wound infection after lower extremity orthopedic surgeries. Quasi Experimental Study. This study was carried out at department of orthopedics Pakistan Railway General Hospital Rawalpindi, from August 2010 to July 2012. Eighty nine patients who had undergone lower extremity surgery were conveniently placed into early mobilization group A and delayed mobilization group B. All the patients mobilized within first week after surgery were included in group A, and those mobilized after one week of surgery were included in group B. Patients' wound infection was defined as local redness, pain, and pus discharge within three weeks after surgery. Results were analyzed using Chi-square test with SPSS-16.0. Minimum age of patients in this study was 10 and maximum 90 years with a mean of 45 in group A and 44 in group B. The total number of the cases of wound infections was 6 [6.74%]; 2 [4.4%] in the early mobilized group and 4 [9%] in the delayed mobilized group. Statistical analysis showed significant difference in the number of wound infections in both groups and the result for group A was statistically more significant [p value=0.03] as compared to result] for group B [p value =0.06]. We conclude that after lower extremity orthopedic surgeries, early mobilization is needed, as it significantly reduces the postoperative wound infection rates, and early mobility is achieved