An Automated Algorithm to Preselect Patients to Be Assessed Individually in Point Prevalence Surveys for Hospital-Acquired Infections in Surgery

Abstract

In this pilot study, we evaluate an algorithm that uses predictive clinical and laboratory parameters to differentiate between patients with hospital-acquired infection (HAI) and patients without HAI. Seventy-four percent of the studied population of surgical patients could be reliably (negative predictive value of 98%) excluded from detailed assessment by the infection control practitioner.