Validation of healthcare associated infection surveillance in smaller Australian hospitals

Publication date: Available online 12 October 2017 Source:Journal of Hospital Infection Author(s): A. Hoskins, L.J. Worth, N. Imam, S.A. Johnson, A. Bull, M.J. Richards, N. Bennett A validation study was conducted in smaller (<100 acute beds) Victorian hospitals to evaluate case-detection for Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream (SAB), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) infections. Overall, 142 infections were identified in 20 hospitals. For routine surveillance of SAB events sensitivity was 74.4% and specificity was 100.0%. For MRSA infections, sensitivity was 47.5% and specificity was 90.9%. All confirmed VRE infections were correctly reported. Of unreported SAB and MRSA infections, 80% (n=16) and 83.9% (n=26) were community-associated infections respectively. Future program refinements include targeted education to ensure appropriate application of case-definitions, particularly those including community onset.
Source: Journal of Hospital Infection - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research