PROFILE OF SURGICAL SITE INFECTIONS IDENTIFIED THROUGH TELEPHONE-BASED POST-DISCHARGE SURVEILLANCE IN A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL IN NORTHERN BRAZIL

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the profile of surgical site infections identified by post-hospital surveillance, using a phonetic search strategy, in patients undergoing elective surgery at a university hospital in northern Brazil. Methods: Observational, descriptive, and retrospective study with a quantitative approach, based on secondary data from notifications of healthcare-associated infections. Notifications recorded between January 2015 and December 2023 at a university hospital located in Manaus, Amazonas, were analyzed. Adult patients undergoing clean and elective surgeries with a diagnosis of surgical site infection in the post-discharge period, identified by active surveillance conducted through structured telephone contact, were included. Results: A total of 235 notifications of surgical site infection identified exclusively by post-date telephone search were included, with variation in the number of records throughout the historical series. In the early years, orthopedics predominated, while in subsequent years there was a higher concentration of cases in general surgery. Superficial incisional infection was the most frequent type throughout the period analyzed. Most cases had an interval of up to one day between confirmation of infection and hospital discharge, especially from 2018 onwards. Conclusions: A significant portion of surgical site infections are identified only after hospital discharge, reinforcing the relevance of structured post-discharge surveillance. Phonated search is an important complementary strategy for detecting these infections and reducing underreporting, contributing to the improvement of hospital epidemiological surveillance.