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.
Reilly
J
J
Health Protection Scotland, Clifton House, Clifton Place, Glasgow G3 7BR, UK.
Noone
A
A
Clift
A
A
Cochrane
L
L
Johnston
L
L
Rowley
D I
DI
Phillips
G
G
Sullivan
F
F
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