This research aimed to identify the frequency of surgical site infection (SSI) in patients submitted to potentially contaminated, elective gastrectomy, at the Gastric Surgery specialty of a school hospital, in the period from 1998 to 2002. A retrospective study was carried out by means of an information survey in medical records. Surgical site infection was detected in 17 patients (9.4%) out of 181 analyzed cases, 23.5% of which were classified as superficial incisional infection; 52.9% as profound incisional infection and 23.5% as organ/space infection; 41.2% of the infection cases developed between 6 and 10 days after the surgery and different microorganisms were isolated in the requested cultures. It was evidenced that the frequency of SSI in potentially contaminated surgeries is according to literature. However, what topography is concerned, most of the detected cases were classified as profound incisional infection, while literature reports that two thirds of SSI are confined to the incision.
Surgical Wound Infection; Gastrectomy; Perioperative Nursing