The ORION guidelines: raising research standards for the control of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens and healthcare-associated infection.

The ORION (Outbreak Reports and Intervention studies Of Nosocomial Infection) guidelines were recently published with the aim of raising methodological standards and the clarity of reporting of intervention studies in hospital infection control. The guidelines provide advice on use of appropriate statistical analysis techniques and the measures necessary to prevent bias, with the aim of ensuring complete transparency in reports of such interventions, their epidemiological context and potential confounders. CMI authors and reviewers should consider these helpful proposals when designing, reporting and assessing intervention and outbreak studies. Use of these guidelines should contribute to the construction of a solid evidence base for control of antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infection.