Prevalence and risk factors of gunshot wound infection in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: a hospital-based cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Survivors of gunshot injury have a major risk of wound infection. The prevalence of gunshot wound infection rates in low-income countries various to a country from another. Overall, there are limited data on civilian gunshot wound infection and its predisposing factors. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of gunshot wound infection and associated risk factors in a tertiary hospital of eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Materials and methods This was a retrospective analysis of data on the entire patients who presented in Provincial General Reference Hospital of Bukavu in the DRC with gunshot injury from January 1st 2019 to December 31, 2020. Results There were 549 patients, and wound infection was a complication in 26.6% of them. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified fractures (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.81; 95% CI: 1.12–2.92; p = 0.0146), nerve damage (aOR = 2.65; 95% CI: 1.70–4.14; p < 0.0001), trunk (aOR = 5.64; 95% CI: 2.61–12.16; p < 0.0001), lower extremity (aOR = 2.71; 95% CI: 1.39–5.28; p = 0.0034), and multiple > 2 (aOR = 2.35; 95% CI: 1.05–5.25; p = 0.0378) as independent predictors of gunshot wound infection. Conclusion The independent predictors of gunshot wound infection identified in this study implied ajudicious assessment and a high priority accorded to trunk perforating wounds, fractures and vasculo-nervous damage in interventions aimed at reducing gunshot wound infection rate.