eBulletin April/May 2005 Edition 14
In this Edition:
Reminders:
! Type 2 Data Submission:
Quarter 4 Reports were released on 18th March 2005. The deadline for data to be forwarded to the
VICNISS Coordinating Centre for Quarter 1, 2005 was 29th April 2005.
The corresponding report is then due to be posted mid June 2005.
! Type 1 Data Submission:
Quarter 4 Reports were released on 18th March 2005. The deadline for data to be forwarded to the
VICNISS Coordinating Centre for Quarter 1, 2005 is 5th May 2005.
The corresponding report is then due to be posted mid June 2005.
Key Dates 2004-05: For more information on deadlines and dates, please click here
(link no longer available) for Key Dates 2004-05.
Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Scientific Meeting
Staff members from the VICNISS Coordinating Centre recently attended the 15th Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Annual Scientific
Meeting 2005, held in Los Angeles. The emphasis of these meetings (intended for health care professionals such as physicians, nurses and others) is
the prevention and control of nosocomial infections. Relevant general themes discussed this year included modifiable risk factors in surgical site
infections (such as surgical antibiotic prophylaxis) and surveillance methodology.
Two VICNISS oral presentations were delivered:
- Establishment Of A Statewide Surveillance Program For Hospital-Acquired Infections In Public Hospitals, Victoria, Australia.
- A State-wide Smaller Hospital Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program: The First Report, Victoria, Australia
And three VICNISS posters were presented:
- Performance of the NNIS Risk Index in Predicting Surgical Site Infections in an Australian Setting
- Surgical Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Victorian Public Hospitals: Early Results from VICNISS, a Statewide Surveillance Program
- The Potential for Surgical Site Infection Rate Surveillance in Smaller Public Acute Care Hospitals, Victoria, Australia
A summary of highlights from the SHEA conference will be provided in the next eBulletin.
Communicable Diseases Control Conference (CDCC)
The CDCC conference (auspiced by the Communicable Diseases Network Australia and the Public Health Laboratory Network)
recently held in Sydney brings together people who work in epidemiology, clinical care, microbiology, infection
control, environmental assessment and policy and program delivery.
Two VICNISS Coordinating Centre staff attended this meeting.
An oral presentation was delivered on:
- Data from Larger Hospitals Participating in the VICNISS Hospital Acquired Infection Surveillance System -
Victoria, Australia
Three posters were presented on:
- Establishment of a Statewide Surveillance Program for Hospital Acquired Infections in Victorian Public Hospitals
- Piloting a Novel Statewide Smaller Hospital Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program
- A Statewide Smaller Hospital Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program: The First Report
Type 1 "Introduction" Workshop
The next workshop will be a "Introduction/Basic" workshop to assist the number of new infection control nurses that have joined
VICNISS participating sites over recent months. Content for the workshop includes introductions to HAI surveillance, and VICNISS surveillance
methodology (SSI and ICU), instruction on the basic and modified risk index and SIR for CSEC and AB prophylaxis, and understanding and interpreting
reports. Details of the workshop are below:
| DATE: | Wednesday, 18th May 2005 |
| TIME: | 12.00pm - 5.00 pm (lunch provided) |
| VENUE: | VICNISS, 10 Wreckyn Street, North Melbourne (VIDRL Building)
(click here for a Map, PDF File
 88kb, opens in new window) |
As the planning of the day will be dependent on numbers attending, could you please RSVP to vicniss @ mh.org.au by Monday, 16th May 2005.
Type 1 Form Changes to SSI/CSEC and Fax Cover Sheets
If you are currently undertaking or plan to start CSEC surveillance please note a change to the forms which include
extra data field for membrane rupture and timing of AB prophylaxis.
The fax cover sheet and SSI forms have also changed to include an extra field for AB prophylaxis.
Please ensure that you are using the most recent version of all forms no later than May 1st. Forms are available from the
VICNISS Website.
Type 2 Surveillance: Update
For those that may be having trouble accessing their web based reports please phone the VICNISS Coordinating
Centre. The passwords were recently changed.
Just some reminders....
- Data collected for the Primary Laboratory Confirmed Bloodstream Infection module is now only for
those that occur 48 hours post admission.
- There are no set time intervals for completing the Process Indicator surveillance modules - Surgical
Antibiotic Prophylaxis, Peripheral Venous Catheter Use & Health Care Workers and Measles/Hepatitis B Vaccination.
- Inhouse or inherited deep incision or organ space surgical site infections should be reported as part of the
required Surgical Infection Report surveillance module.
- Please ensure that you are now using the most recent forms (some updated in April) available from the
VICNISS Website.
