An investigation of central-line associated bloodstream infection data by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in several Colorado hospitals found that CLABSI data reporting relied on a wide variety of surveillance practices and definition criteria, according to a study in the October issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
Staff from the Colorado Department of Health and Environment performed interviews with infection preventionists to assess the criteria at each site for CLABSI reporting for 55 cases of the infection.
Out of the 55 cases identified by health department reviewers, 18 had gone unreported by hospitals. An additional case of CLABSI was over-reported.
The study suggests that the 33 percent of unreported cases underline the need to create a system of data validation for public infection reporting to ensure data accuracy.
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