Bloodstream infection surveillance in smaller hospitals

Abstract

Infection Control (IC) nurses in 85 smaller (<100 acute care beds) public hospitals reported hospital acquired primary laboratory confirmed (LC) bloodstream infections (BSIs) over 26 months. The ‘true’ infection rate (as confirmed by two infectious diseases physicians) was 0.2 BSIs per 10,000 acute occupied bed days. Only 25% of the BSIs reported by the IC nurses were confirmed as ‘true’ infections. Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly cultured causative micro-organism. The cause of the 12 confirmed BSIs may have been associated with the use of intravascular devices. The usefulness for smaller hospitals continuing this type of surveillance (particularly because hospital acquired primary LC BSIs are an infrequent, albeit serious event) is questionable.