Welcome to the VICNISS Hospital Acquired Infection Surveillance System
The primary aim of VICNISS is to lower the number of
infections acquired in Victorian hospitals. Established in 2002, the program is coordinated by the VICNISS Coordinating Centre, which
collects and analyses data on hospital acquired (nosocomial) infections in acute care public hospitals in Victoria, and reports individual hospital
and aggregate data back to participants and the Department of Human Services. Surveillance activities are targeted to those
patients at highest risk of hospital acquired infections.
News
Christmas and New Year Period
Please note that the VICNISS Coordinating Centre will continue to operate during the Christmas and New Year period.
We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the Infection Control teams for their hard work in collecting and submitting VICNISS
data during 2009.
From everybody at the VICNISS Coordinating Centre, we'd like to wish you all a SAFE and HAPPY festive season.
TYPE 1 & 2 SURVEILLANCE REPORTS (for participating hospitals only)
December 2009: Influenza Vaccination Reports for 2009 for all participating hospitals (
Type 1 and
Type 2) are now available.
December 2009: Quarter 1, 2009/2010
Type 1 and
Type 2 quarterly reports, including Outpatient Haemodialysis reports, and the Type 1 Hospital Level
De-identified Data Report is now available.
These reports can be accessed using your hospital username and password.
An explanatory document regarding these reports is available on your Reports page.
If you have any further questions after reading this document, or any problems accessing
your hospital reports please contact the
Coordinating Centre.
The deadline for data to be forwarded to the VICNISS Coordinating Centre for Quarter
2, 2009/2010 is Friday, 5th February
2010 for Type 1 hospitals
and Friday, 29th January 2010 for Type 2 hospitals. The
corresponding report is then due to be posted on 19th March 2010.
NB: From 1st July 2008 VICNISS quarterly and year to date (YTD) reports will reflect the financial year calendar. For example,
July/Aug/Sept 2009 will be referred to as Q1, 2009/2010. This will mean that reports will
look different to previous reports.
Staphylococcus aureus Bacteraemia (SAB) & Hand Hygiene
As of 1st September 2009 the activities of Hand Hygiene Victoria transferred to the VICNISS Coordinating Centre.
VICNISS now collects all hand hygiene data and is currently working on a revised form for the inclusion of SAB data that will come into
effect on 1st January 2010:
- All data (both compliance and SAB data) will now be submitted to VICNISS. VICNISS is currently working on a revised
form for the inclusion of SAB data that will come into effect on 1st January.
- The provision of education will be through VICNISS on a need basis. To facilitate a smooth introduction & ensure consistent use of the
SAB definition all participants are invited to a
SAB User Group via teleconference. Education may also be undertaken by Hand Hygiene Australia at time
and dates advertised on the HHA website www.hha.org.au.
- In August 2009 168 hospitals were participating in HHA this number has increased in November to 250 nationwide.
- It is expected that online data entry for HH will be available through HHA from April 2010.
- Planning by the Australian Commission On Quality & Safety in healthcare has commenced for the National HH program beyond 2010.
- Data for the past 4 months was due to the Coordinating Centre on 27/11/09 for collation and submission to Bernadette Kennedy at DHS
before being sent onto the HHA.
- The dates for upcoming HH data submission to VICNISS are consistent with the posting on the HHA website and are as follows:
- 2nd April 2010
- 6th August 2010
- 26th November 2010
- From 1st January ALL health services/hospitals that are unable to comply with submission of HH data within the reporting time
will be required to complete the VICNISS
NOTICE OF INABILITY TO UNDERTAKE VICNISS SURVEILLANCE ACTIVITIES FORM (PDF File
50kb).
- As per the letter dated 10/06/09 from DHS to all health services the HH compliance benchmark has been raised and is now 60%.
- VICNISS participates in regular teleconferences with HHA to ensure Victoria is implementing all aspect of the program.
- All data and queries regarding the VICNISS HH program should be directed to vicnisshh @ mh.org.au and a member of the Coordinating
Centre will get back to you.
PLEASE ENSURE THAT THE HAND HYGIENE COORDINATOR AT YOUR FACILITY IS UP TO DATE WITH THE CHANGES.
Validation of Central Line-associated Bloodstream Infection Intensive Care Unit Surveillance
Data from VICNISS
In 2006, a number of Type 1 VICNISS centres participated in a validation study of the module for monitoring CLABSI in ICU patients. Using
external review and application of NNIS criteria as the gold standard, the positive predictive value, negative predictive value,
sensitivity and specificity were found to be 59%, 74%, 35% and 87%, respectively. Of note, VICNISS has subsequently updated the
case-definition for CLABSI (July 2008) to maintain consistency with the NHSN. Findings of the current study suggest that this is one
important step towards improved validity (sensitivity) of the CLABSI module.
A more detailed article is also available on the VICNISS website: Validation of Central Line-associated Bloodstream
Infection Intensive Care Unit Surveillance Data from VICNISS.
Infection Control Literature Review, December 2009
Our most recent
literature review, for December, compiled by Dr Leon Worth, ID Physician,
discusses current research on the following selected topics:
- Catheter-related Bloodstream Infection: Taking a Look Beyond ICU
- Chlorhexidine Bathing and Reduction of Bloodstream Infections in a Long-term Acute Care Hospital