Health Care-associated infections studies project: An American Journal of Infection Control and National Healthcare Safety Network data quality collaboration case study.

This National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) surveillance case study is part of a case-study series in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC). These cases reflect some of the complex patient scenarios Infection preventionists have encountered in their daily surveillance of health care-associated infections using NHSN definitions. Objectives have been previously published.

Accuracy of catheter-associated urinary tract infections reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network, January 2010 through July 2018.

Background: Surveillance of health care-associated, catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) are the corner stone of infection prevention activity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network provides standard definitions for CAUTI surveillance, which have been updated periodically to increase objectivity, credibility, and reliability of urinary tract infection definitions. Several state health departments have validated CAUTI data that provided insights into accuracy of CAUTI reporting and adherence to CAUTI definition.

Reduction in catheter-associated urinary tract infections by bundling interventions.

Objective: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common type of hospital-acquired infection, and most are associated with indwelling urinary catheters, that is, catheter-associated UTIs (CAUTIs). Our goal was to reduce the CAUTI rate.

Interventions: We retrospectively examined the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of a bundle of four evidence-based interventions upon the incidence rate (IR) of CAUTIs in a community hospital.