Statewide Hospital Infection Surveillance

Abstract

• Workmen’s Compensation claims from 193 licensed Florida hospitals were reviewed for 1970 to 1972, to seek possible nosocomial infection, and 55 claims for infection were found. This is a rate of 0.51/1,000 estimated employees in the three-year period.

Hepatitis accounted for 44 claims and represented an aggregate expenditure of $83,142. Twenty-eight hepatitis claims arose from six hospitals that have chronic dialysis centers. The rate per 1,000 estimated employees was 1.67 in hospitals with dialysis facilities and 0.17 in hospitals without. A disproportionately large number of hepatitis claims from Dade County was attributed to the location there of eight of 11 Florida hospitals with chronic dialysis centers.

Workmen’s Compensation claims can be used to develop information about hospital-acquired infection and detect high-risk hospitals.