Exploring the influence of enforcing infection control directives on the risk of developing healthcare associated infections in the intensive care unit: a retrospective study.

Background: Although strict adherence to infection control strategies is recognised as the simplest and most cost effective method to prevent the spread of healthcare associated infections (HAIs), measurement of the direct impact that such adherence may have on the risk of developing such infections has always been a challenge.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the risk of HAIs before and during the SARS outbreak. Such comparison is intended to provide a surrogate measure of the influence that strict enforcement of infection control strategies during the SARS outbreak may have had on the risk of HAIs.