A Tool for Specifying Data Quality Checks for Clinical Data Management Systems - A Technical Case Report.

Introduction: Prospective data collection in clinical trials is considered the gold standard of clinical research. Validating data entered in input fields in case report forms is unavoidable to maintain good data quality. Data quality checks include both the conformance of individual inputs to the specification of the data element, the detection of missing values, and the plausibility of the values entered.

Effect of Automated Telephone Infectious Disease Consultations to Nonacademic Hospitals on 30-Day Mortality Among Patients With Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia: The SUPPORT Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is a common and potentially severe infectious disease (ID). Retrospective studies and derived meta-analyses suggest that bedside infectious disease consultation (IDC) for SAB is associated with improved survival; however, such IDCs might not always be possible because of the lack of ID specialists, particularly at nonacademic hospitals.

Objectives: To investigate whether unsolicited telephone IDCs (triggered by an automated blood stream infection reporting system) to nonacademic hospitals improved 30-day all-cause mortality in patients with SAB.

The epidemiology of bloodstream infections and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in Thuringia, Germany: a five-year prospective, state-wide surveillance study (AlertsNet).

Background: Monitoring pathogens of bloodstream infections (BSI) and their antibiotic susceptibility is important to guide empiric antibiotic treatment strategies and prevention programs. This study assessed the epidemiology of BSI and antibiotic resistance patterns at the German Federal State of Thuringia longitudinally.

Methods: A surveillance network consisting of 26 hospitals was established to monitor BSIs from 01/2015 to 12/2019.

Hospital-wide ELectronic medical record evaluated computerised decision support system to improve outcomes of Patients with staphylococcal bloodstream infection (HELP): study protocol for a multicentre stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial.

Introduction: are the most commonly identified pathogens in bloodstream infections. Identification of in blood culture (SAB) requires a prompt and adequate clinical management. The detection of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), however, corresponds to contamination in about 75% of the cases.

Approaching Clinical Data Transformation from Disparate Healthcare IT Systems Through a Modular Framework.

Many healthcare IT systems in Germany are unable to interoperate with other systems through standardised data formats. Therefore it is difficult to store and retrieve data and to establish a systematic collection of data with provenance across systems and even healthcare institutions. We outline the concept for a Transformation Pipeline that can act as a processor for proprietary medical data formats from multiple sources.

The Thuringian registry for bloodstream infections, antibiotic resistance and the practice of blood culture sampling--AlertsNet.

Evidence-based blood culture (BC) testing is of utmost importance for intensive care unit (ICU) patients suspected for sepsis. Knowledge of the aetiological agent and its susceptibility to anti-infective agents enables the clinician to initiate appropriate antimicrobial therapy and guides diagnostic procedures. This has been shown to reduce mortality, ICU stay and antibiotic overuse.

Bloodstream infections, antibiotic resistance and the practice of blood culture sampling in Germany: study design of a Thuringia-wide prospective population-based study (AlertsNet).

Introduction: Bloodstream infections are a major cause of death worldwide; blood culture (BC) sampling remains the most important tool for their diagnosis. Current data suggest that BC rates in German hospitals are considerably lower than recommended; this points to shortfalls in the application of microbiological analyses. Since early and appropriate BC diagnostics are associated with reduced case fatality rates and a shorter duration of antimicrobial therapy, a multicomponent study for the improvement of BC diagnostics was developed.

Extra length of stay and costs because of health care-associated infections at a German university hospital.

Background: Health care-associated infections (HAIs) can be associated with increased health care costs. We examined extra length of hospital stay (LOS) and associated per diem costs attributable to HAIs in a large academic medical center.

Methods: Data for analysis were acquired in a preinterventional phase of a prospective cohort study (ALERTS) conducted over 12 months in 27 general and 4 intensive care units at Jena University Hospital.

Serial measurement of Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System-28 (TISS-28) in a surgical intensive care unit.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the use of the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System-28 (TISS-28) in surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients and the relationship of the score to the type of surgery, severity of illness, and outcome in these patients.

Materials And Methods: Prospectively collected data from all patients admitted to a postoperative ICU between March 1, 2004, and June 30, 2006, were analyzed retrospectively.

Results: A total of 6903 patients were admitted during the study period (63.

Prognostic value of serum myoglobin in patients after cardiac surgery.

Purpose: Serum myoglobin as a marker of myocardial damage and injury has been shown to be of prognostic value in patients with cardiovascular events. In this study, we analyzed the prognostic value of serum myoglobin in comparison to other parameters of muscle damage and renal function in patients after cardiac surgery.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 373 cardiac surgical patients (mean age, 66 +/- 10 years; range, 30-88 years) by using the highest levels of serum myoglobin, creatinine, and creatine phosphokinase (CK) within the first 24 h after admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).