Which factor is NOT considered a risk for post-operative wound infections?

Race is not traditionally classified as a direct risk factor for post-operative wound infections in the way that some physiological and behavioral aspects are. Factors such as obesity, diabetes, and the excessive use of electrocautery have all been well established in medical literature as having tangible impacts on surgical outcomes and wound healing.

Obesity increases the risk for infections due to several mechanisms, including impaired immune response, increased tissue hypoxia, and difficulties with wound closure and drainage. Diabetes can also significantly impact wound healing due to compromised blood flow, neuropathy, and a diminished immune response. On the other hand, the excessive use of electrocautery can lead to thermal injury and damage to surrounding tissues, which increases the risk of infection by disrupting normal tissue architecture and promoting inflammation.

In contrast, although certain demographic factors—including race—may correlate with health disparities and outcomes in broader contexts, they do not manifest as direct risk factors for infections in a post-surgical setting. Hence, race does not fit within the same category as the other listed factors that have direct physiological implications on surgical healing and risks of infections.