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Published on: June 15, 2019

[Nosocomial infection and multiple causes of death]

Ruth N T Turrini1, Augusto H Santo

  • 1Dep de Enfermagem Médico-Cirúrgica, USP, São Paulo, SP. rturrini@usp.br

Jornal De Pediatria
|December 4, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Death certificates inadequately capture nosocomial infections, missing most cases. Improved physician training is crucial for accurate data collection on hospital-acquired infections.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Informatics
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health Surveillance

Context:

  • Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) pose a significant threat to patient safety.
  • Accurate data collection on HAIs is essential for effective infection control and prevention strategies.
  • Current methods for reporting HAIs, such as death certificates, may be insufficient.

Purpose:

  • To assess the utility of death certificates as a data source for nosocomial infections.
  • To compare the accuracy of information on original death certificates with data from medical charts.
  • To determine the prevalence of nosocomial infections identified through revised death certificates.

Summary:

  • Medical charts of pediatric patients who died in-hospital were reviewed alongside their death certificates.
  • Death certificates showed a 69.9% agreement with medical records regarding causes of death.
  • Only 1% of nosocomial infections were noted on original death certificates, compared to 88.9% on redrafted certificates.

Impact:

  • Death certificates are unreliable for tracking nosocomial infections due to inadequate completion.
  • Enhanced physician education is recommended for accurate identification and documentation of HAIs.
  • Improved data quality can lead to better understanding and control of hospital-acquired infections.
Abstract

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