Abstract
Background and AimsInfectious diseases (IDs) are major causes of morbidity and mortality and their surveillance is critical. In 2002, we implemented a simple and versatile homemade tool, named EPIMIC, for the real-time systematic automated surveillance of IDs at Marseille university hospitals, based on the data from our clinical microbiology laboratory, including clinical samples, tests and diagnoses.MethodsThis tool was specifically designed to detect abnormal events as IDs are rarely predicted and modeled. EPIMIC operates using Microsoft Excel software and requires no particular computer skills or resources. An abnormal event corresponds to an increase above, or a decrease below threshold values calculated based on the mean of historical data plus or minus 2 standard deviations, respectively.ResultsBetween November 2002 and October 2013 (11 years), 293 items were surveyed weekly, including 38 clinical samples, 86 pathogens, 79 diagnosis tests, and 39 antibacterial resistance patterns. The mean duration of surveillance was 7.6 years (range, 1 month-10.9 years). A total of 108,427 Microsoft Excel file cells were filled with counts of clinical samples, and 110,017 cells were filled with counts of diagnoses. A total of 1,390,689 samples were analyzed. Among them, 172,180 were found to be positive for a pathogen. EPIMIC generated a mean number of 0.5 alert/week on abnormal events.ConclusionsEPIMIC proved to be efficient for real-time automated laboratory-based surveillance and alerting at our university hospital clinical microbiology laboratory-scale. It is freely downloadable from the following URL: http://www.mediterranee-infection.com/article.php?larub=157&titre=bulletin-epidemiologique (last accessed: 20/11/2015).
Highlights
Infectious diseases (IDs) are major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide [1,2,3,4]
A total of 108,427 Microsoft Excel file cells were filled with counts of clinical samples, and 110,017 cells were filled with counts of diagnoses
Between November 2002 and October 2013, we prospectively monitored the weekly numbers of clinical samples received, tests performed and positive and negative diagnoses obtained at the clinical microbiology laboratories of the four university hospitals of Marseille
Summary
Infectious diseases (IDs) are major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide [1,2,3,4] Their surveillance is critical to improve their diagnosis, prevention, clinical management and treatment [5,6,7]. Many surveillance systems target a limited number of IDs, and not throughout the whole year, but rather only for periods during which, classically, they are known to occur. These are important drawbacks that considerably limit the capability to detect “abnormal” events, including infections with unusual/unexpected features, and emerging/reemerging diseases. In 2002, we implemented a simple and versatile homemade tool, named EPIMIC, for the real-time systematic automated surveillance of IDs at Marseille university hospitals, based on the data from our clinical microbiology laboratory, including clinical samples, tests and diagnoses
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