Postdischarge surveillance: the impact on surgical site infection incidence in a Brazilian university hospital.

Objective: This prospective cohort study was carried out in a surgical unit of a university hospital in Brazil. The purpose of the study was to determine the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) in patients during hospitalization and after discharge from the hospital.

Method: In a sample of 630 patients who underwent surgical procedures, association among diagnosis of SSI (in-hospital or postdischarge), class of the surgery (elective or emergency), hospitalization period, patient's clinical condition (American Society of Anesthesiologists [ASA] score), classification of surgical site, and duration of surgical procedure were verified.