A study of telephone screening and direct observation of surgical wound infections after discharge from hospital.
Post-discharge surveillance of surgical site infection is necessary if accurate rates of infection following surgery are to be available. We undertook a prospective study of 376 knee and hip replacements in 366 patients in order to estimate the rate of orthopaedic surgical site infection in the community. The inpatient infection was 3.1% and the post-discharge infection rate was 2.1%. We concluded that the use of telephone interviews of patients to identify the group at highest risk of having a surgical site infection (those who think they have an infection) with rapid follow-up by a professional trained to diagnose infection according to agreed criteria is an effective method of identifying infection after discharge from hospital.
Health Protection Scotland, Clifton House, Clifton Place, Glasgow G3 7BR, UK.
J
J
Reilly
A
A
Noone
A
A
Clift
L
L
Cochrane
L
L
Johnston
D I
DI
Rowley
G
G
Phillips
F
F
Sullivan
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019643:Arthroplasty, Replacement; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013689:Telephone