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The Effect of Surveillance Definitions on Nosocomial Urinary Tract Infection Rates in a Rehabilitation Hospital

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Steven M. Lewis*
Affiliation:
Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital and Clinics, Wheaton, Illinois
*
1725 South St., Geneva, IL 60134

Abstract

This article presents original research findings to illustrate the influence of surveillance definitions oninfection rate. Several definitions for urinary tract infection were applied to clinical and laboratory data from rehabilitation hospital patients, and the effect on sensitivity and specificity examined. We demonstrate that it is essential to take into account the influence of the surveillance definition when interpreting surveillance data, and the importance of ensuring that the surveillance definition is compatible with the surveillance objectives when selecting a definition. Surveillance definitions that serve well in one surveillance program may not serve well in another.

Type
Statistics for Hospital Epidemiology
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1995

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