Infection control indicators in critical care settings

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has developed and is currently testing eight infection control indicators in hundreds of hospitals. The indicator set focuses on surgical wound infections, postoperative pneumonia, use of urinary catheterization, ventilator-associated pneumonia, primary bloodstream infection, endometritis, adequacy of surveillance, and employee measles immunization. Critical care unit staff members may be involved in using indicator rates. Following the trend rates should suggest organizational systems and processes of care in critical care settings that may warrant further examination and improvement.