Increasing the Reliability of Fully Automated Surveillance for Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections.

Objective: To increase reliability of the algorithm used in our fully automated electronic surveillance system by adding rules to better identify bloodstream infections secondary to other hospital-acquired infections.

Methods: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients with positive blood cultures were reviewed. Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) determinations were based on 2 sources: routine surveillance by infection preventionists, and fully automated surveillance.

Electronic surveillance for healthcare-associated central line-associated bloodstream infections outside the intensive care unit.

Background: Manual surveillance for central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) by infection prevention practitioners is time-consuming and often limited to intensive care units (ICUs). An automated surveillance system using existing databases with patient-level variables and microbiology data was investigated.

Methods: Patients with a positive blood culture in 4 non-ICU wards at Barnes-Jewish Hospital between July 1, 2005, and December 31, 2006, were evaluated.

Automated surveillance for central line-associated bloodstream infection in intensive care units.

Objective: To develop and evaluate computer algorithms with high negative predictive values that augment traditional surveillance for central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI).

Setting: Barnes-Jewish Hospital, a 1,250-bed tertiary care academic hospital in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Methods: We evaluated all adult patients in intensive care units who had blood samples collected during the period from July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006, that were positive for a recognized pathogen on culture.