Division 4.1 GENERAL CASE DEFINITION OF NOSOCOMIAL INFECTION (OR ‘HEALTHCARE-ASSOCIATED INFECTION (HAI)’)

A nosocomial infection associated to the current hospital stay is defined as infection that matches one of the case definitions AND

• the onset of symptoms was on day 3 or later (day of admission = day 1) of the current hospital admission OR

• the patient underwent surgery on day 1 or day 2 and develops symptoms of a Surgical Site Infection before day 3 OR

• an invasive device was placed on day 1 or day 2 resulting in an HAI before day 3

A nosocomial infection associated to a previous hospital stay is defined as an infection that matches one of the case definitions

AND

• the patient presents with an infection but has been readmitted less than 48 hours after a previous admission to an acute care hospital

  OR

• the patient has been admitted with an infection that meets the case definition of a Surgical Site Infection i.e. the SSI occurred within 30 days of the operation (or in the case of surgery involving an implant was a deep or organ/space SSI that developed within 90 days of the operation) and the patient either has symptoms that meet the case definition and/or is on antimicrobial treatment for that infection

  OR

• the patient has been admitted (or develops symptoms within 2 days) with Clostridium difficile infection less than 28 days from a previous discharge from an acute care hospital.