If a patient is discharged to rehabilitation but remains within the health service should they be monitored for surgical site infection?
Currently VICNISS surveillance methodology has not been expanded to include post discharge surveillance. When the patient has been discharged from the acute care facility they no longer require follow up. If the patient is re-admitted to the acute care facility with a surgical site infection and within 30 days (non-implantable’s) or within 365 days (implantable’s) then the infection details are recorded against the first patient admission.
