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Basics of Surveillance—An Overview

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Jean M. Pottinger  and
Trish M. Perl
Jean M. Pottinger
Affiliation:
Veterans' Administration Lakeside Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
Trish M. Perl
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland
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Abstract

Surveillance of nosocomial infections is the foundation of an infection control program. This article describes components of a surveillance system, methods for surveillance, methods for case-finding, and data sources. We encourage the epidemiology team to use this background information as they design surveillance systems that meet the goals of their individual institution's infection control program.

Type
Practical Healthcare Epidemiology
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 18 , Issue 7 , July 1997 , pp. 513 - 527
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1997

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