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A Comparison of Methods for Surveillance of Nosocomial Infections

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2016

Elaine Larson*
Affiliation:
University Hospital, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
*
Research Coordinator, Nursing Services RC-36, University Hospital, Seattle, WA 98195

Abstract

Data available for the monitoring of nosocomial infections, including mandatory state reports of communicable diseases, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, National Nosocomial Infections Study reports, and ad hoc epidemiologic investigations are discussed in this article, and their usefulness, validity, limitations, and representativeness are compared. Problems with interpretation of hospital infection “rates” are described, and solutions are proposed.

Type
Original-Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1980

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