It is a prospective study in two teaching hospitals. They accompanied 501 admitted patients who were submitted to the surgery of the digestive system from August 2001 to March 2002. In the period of the study, 140 surgical site infections (SSIs) were diagnosed. Thirty-one SSIs were diagnosed in the hospital and 109 after the discharge. The incidence of SSIs was of 6,2%, rising for 28,0%, with postdischarge surveillance. The methods of postdischarge surveillance are also discussed and among the several options, as there is not one recommended as the best. However, it is suggested that some types of postdischarge surveillance must be accomplished. The choice of the method will depend on the sources of each institution.
Surgical wound infection; Surveillance
