Surveillance of infection burden in residential aged care facilities.

Objectives: To explore the burden of illness associated with infectious syndromes and to measure the associated use of antimicrobials in residential aged care facilities (RACFs).

Design, Setting And Subjects: Retrospective analysis of data for January 2006 to December 2010 from an infection surveillance system covering residents of four co-located RACFs, with a total of 150 residential care beds, in Melbourne, Victoria.

Main Outcome Measures: Number of episodes and incidence of health care-associated infection (HCAI); rate of antimicrobial use; prescribing concordance with McGeer criteria for infection; frequency of clinical specimen collection.