INTRODUCTION: Severe infection is one of the most common causes of critical illness. Healthcare-associated infections complicating critical illness bring the additional challenge of multidrug resistance. However, England lacks a national surveillance system for infections in intensive care units. Prior experience with surveillance systems suggests that they are most effective when placed within a collaborative quality improvement framework. METHOD: A national survey of adult, paediatric and neonatal intensive care doctors, nurses, microbiologists and infection control practitioners was undertaken throughout the UK to determine stakeholder engagement. RESULTS: Of 763 respondents (80% ICU physicians; 8% nurses) from 158 hospital Trusts across the UK, 721 (94.4%) supported establishing a surveillance system; 63.5% preferred that data collection be mandatory; 47.5% considered that the work should be undertaken within existing resources. Respondents prioritised catheter-associated and multidrug resistant infections. Free-text responses demonstrated strong support for using the data for epidemiological information and benchmarking for quality improvement. DISCUSSION: The survey provides a satisfactory foundation for establishing a national surveillance system for infection prevention and control in critical care in England.
INTRODUCTION: Severe infection is one of the most common causes of critical illness. Healthcare-associated infections complicating critical illness bring the additional challenge of multidrug resistance. However, England lacks a national surveillance system for infections in intensive care units. Prior experience with surveillance systems suggests that they are most effective when placed within a collaborative quality improvement framework. METHOD: A national survey of adult, paediatric and neonatal intensive care doctors, nurses, microbiologists and infection control practitioners was undertaken throughout the UK to determine stakeholder engagement. RESULTS: Of 763 respondents (80% ICU physicians; 8% nurses) from 158 hospital Trusts across the UK, 721 (94.4%) supported establishing a surveillance system; 63.5% preferred that data collection be mandatory; 47.5% considered that the work should be undertaken within existing resources. Respondents prioritised catheter-associated and multidrug resistant infections. Free-text responses demonstrated strong support for using the data for epidemiological information and benchmarking for quality improvement. DISCUSSION: The survey provides a satisfactory foundation for establishing a national surveillance system for infection prevention and control in critical care in England.
Authors: Stefania Vergnano; Esse Menson; Nigel Kennea; Nick Embleton; Alison Bedford Russell; Timothy Watts; Michael J Robinson; Andrew Collinson; Paul T Heath Journal: Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed Date: 2010-09-27 Impact factor: 5.747
Authors: Joanne M Hafner; Scott C Williams; Richard G Koss; Brette A Tschurtz; Stephen P Schmaltz; Jerod M Loeb Journal: Int J Qual Health Care Date: 2011-08-12 Impact factor: 2.038
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