title: Predictive factors of post-discharge surgical site infections among patients from a teaching hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Surgical site infections (SSIs) often manifest after patients are discharged and are missed by hospital-based surveillance.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a case-reference study nested in a prospective cohort of patients from six surgical specialties in a teaching hospital. The factors related to SSI were compared for cases identified during the hospital stay and after discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 3,427 patients, 222 (6.4%) acquired an SSI. In 138 of these patients, the onset of the SSI occurred after discharge. Neurological surgery and the use of steroids were independently associated with a greater likelihood of SSI diagnosis during the hospital stay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support the idea of a specialty-based strategy for post-discharge SSI surveillance.
authors.affiliation: Comissão de Controle de Infecção Relacionada à Assistência em Saúde, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adriana Estela Biasotti
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Comissão de Controle de Infecção Relacionada à Assistência em Saúde, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo de Souza
authors.initials: Rde S
authors.lastname: Cavalcante
authors.affiliation: Comissão de Controle de Infecção Relacionada à Assistência em Saúde, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Erika Cibele Pereira
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Pavan
authors.affiliation: Comissão de Controle de Infecção Relacionada à Assistência em Saúde, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elaine da Silva
authors.initials: Eda S
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: Comissão de Controle de Infecção Relacionada à Assistência em Saúde, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Magno Castelo Branco
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Fortaleza
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult