CLABSI: Definition and Diagnosis

Abstract

Surveillance is an active process which requires proactively reviewing data sources indicative of an infection with the most common starting point through review of positive blood cultures. Based on the model of surveillance in the United States, if it is determined the bloodstream infection is associated with the central venous access device, mandatory data is collected. Other parts of the world do not have mandatory reporting. The surveillance data is used in a variety of ways including rating of hospitals for patient satisfaction, reimbursement/value-based purchasing percentages, comparison to other hospitals of similar bed size, central line device utilization ratio to determine if a hospital is using an inordinate ratio of central catheters, and determination of a standardized infection ratio. This chapter aims to define how surveillance is performed and the various uses of the gathered/reported information.