[Infection rate in clean surgery: follow-up until 30 days after operation]

Surgical site infections in clean surgery are a significant problem and are linked to increasing morbidity and mortality. Consequently, surveillance systems should be developed to determine the true value of the infection rate in clean surgery and to focus efforts to reduce it.

Five hundred twenty-five patients who underwent clean surgery were prospectively studied. Demographic characteristics, underlying disease, and data related to both surgery and postoperative infection were analyzed. The patients were followed-up for 30 days after surgery.

Fifty-eight percent of the infections were diagnosed after the patient had left hospital. The surgical wound infection rate was 2.3%. Patients with one or more risk factors had an infection rate of 3.95%. Diabetes mellitus and malignancy were associated with infection rates of 9% and 8.2% respectively.

This type of surveillance, at 30 days after surgery, provides more accurate data on real infection rates. The most important factors associated with infection in this series were diabetes mellitus, malignancy and length of surgery.