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Characterising health care-associated bloodstream infections in public hospitals in Queensland, 2008–2012

Leon J Worth, Ann L Bull and Michael J Richards
Med J Aust 2016; 205 (6): . || doi: 10.5694/mja16.00564
Published online: 19 September 2016

Si and colleagues1 are commended for reporting on the bloodstream infection (BSI) surveillance in 23 Queensland public hospitals via the Centre for Healthcare Related Infection Surveillance and Prevention (2008–2012). Bloodstream infections are significant in terms of the need for intravenous antibiotics and hospitalisation, and estimating the burden of illness can reflect emerging trends. However, our experience of targeted BSI monitoring in Victorian hospitals indicates that health care-associated infection surveillance should also provide meaningful data to inform prevention programs. We note that Si and colleagues reported some data that appear reliant on non-standardised surveillance methodology, and some measures that may not facilitate action at the hospital level.


  • 1 Victorian Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance System (VICNISS) Coordinating Centre, Doherty Institute, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2 University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC


Correspondence: leon.worth@mh.org.au

Acknowledgements: 

The Victorian Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance System is fully funded by the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services.

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

  • 1. Si D, Runnegar N, Marquess J, et al. Characterising health care-associated bloodstream infections in public hospitals in Queensland, 2008–2012. Med J Aust 2016; 204: 276. <MJA full text>
  • 2. Beekmann SE, Diekema DJ, Doern GV. Determining the clinical significance of coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from blood cultures. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2005; 26: 559-566.
  • 3. Worth LJ, Spelman T, Bull AL, et al. Central line-associated bloodstream infections in Australian intensive care units: time-trends in infection rates, etiology, and antimicrobial resistance using a comprehensive Victorian surveillance program, 2009–2013. Am J Infect Control 2015; 43: 848-852.
  • 4. Metzger KE, Rucker Y, Callaghan M, et al. The burden of mucosal barrier injury laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infection among hematology, oncology, and stem cell transplant patients. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015; 36: 119-124.
  • 5. Wenzel RP. Quality assessment. An emerging component of hospital epidemiology. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 1990; 13: 197-204.

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