TY - JOUR
T1 - Surveillance of nosocomial infection in private psychiatric hospitals
T2 - An exploratory study
AU - Loving, Paula
AU - Porter, Sharon
AU - Stuifbergen, Alexa
AU - Houfek, Julia
AU - Collins, Phillip
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by the Continuing Education and Collaboration in Research (CECOR) grant, Dolores Sands, Project Director, funded by the Division of Nursing, United States Public Health Service grant No. 1D10 NU 26099-03, and HCA Shoal Creek Hospital.
PY - 1992/6
Y1 - 1992/6
N2 - Background: The vast majority of work published about infection control programs, procedures, and practices addresses general acute care facilities. Consequently, infection-control coordinators at psychiatric hospitals have few established norms or models to use in adapting available standards to the unique needs of psychiatric hospitals and their patients. This descriptive study explored practices for the surveillance of nosocomial infections in private psychiatric hospitals. Methods: A survey was mailed to the infection control coordinator of the 284 hospitals belonging to the National Association of Private Psychiatric Hospitals. Questionnaire data were collected anonymously. Surveys were returned by 103 (36%) of the hospitals. Results: The most frequent criteria used to define the presence of nosocomial infections were the Center for Disease Control guidelines and clinical judgment, used by 38% and 39% of the respondents, respectively. Most (64%) of the respondents indicated that they did calculate a nosocomial infection rate. The most frequent method used to calculate infection rates was based on patient discharges. Sixty-five hospitals (63%) reported their most recent yearly infection rate, which ranged from 0.00 to 0.35, with a median rate of 0.05 (mean, 0.06; SD, 0.07). Conclusions: Overall, the findings reflected much variability in respondents' practices in defining nosocomial infections and calculating infection rates. We therefore suggest that both the method used to calculate the rate and facilities' definitions of nosocomial infection be considered when comparing infection rates across facilities.
AB - Background: The vast majority of work published about infection control programs, procedures, and practices addresses general acute care facilities. Consequently, infection-control coordinators at psychiatric hospitals have few established norms or models to use in adapting available standards to the unique needs of psychiatric hospitals and their patients. This descriptive study explored practices for the surveillance of nosocomial infections in private psychiatric hospitals. Methods: A survey was mailed to the infection control coordinator of the 284 hospitals belonging to the National Association of Private Psychiatric Hospitals. Questionnaire data were collected anonymously. Surveys were returned by 103 (36%) of the hospitals. Results: The most frequent criteria used to define the presence of nosocomial infections were the Center for Disease Control guidelines and clinical judgment, used by 38% and 39% of the respondents, respectively. Most (64%) of the respondents indicated that they did calculate a nosocomial infection rate. The most frequent method used to calculate infection rates was based on patient discharges. Sixty-five hospitals (63%) reported their most recent yearly infection rate, which ranged from 0.00 to 0.35, with a median rate of 0.05 (mean, 0.06; SD, 0.07). Conclusions: Overall, the findings reflected much variability in respondents' practices in defining nosocomial infections and calculating infection rates. We therefore suggest that both the method used to calculate the rate and facilities' definitions of nosocomial infection be considered when comparing infection rates across facilities.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0196-6553(05)80182-8
DO - 10.1016/S0196-6553(05)80182-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 1636936
AN - SCOPUS:0026632565
SN - 0196-6553
VL - 20
SP - 149
EP - 155
JO - AJIC: American Journal of Infection Control
JF - AJIC: American Journal of Infection Control
IS - 3
ER -