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ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: This study aimed to describe national intermediate-term admission rates for incisional hernia or clinically apparent adhesions following colorectal surgery, and to compare rates following laparoscopic and open approaches. METHODS: Patients undergoing primary colorectal resection between 2002 and 2008 were included from the Hospital Episode Statistics database. Subsequent inpatient admissions were extracted for up to 3 years after the initial operation or to the end of the study period. Outcomes examined were admissions with a diagnosis of, or operative interventions for, incisional hernia or adhesions. RESULTS: A total of 187 148 patients were included between 2002 and 2008, with median follow-up of 31·8 (interquartile range 13·1-35·3) months. Some 8885 (4·7 per cent) of these patients were admitted with a diagnosis of, or underwent a repair of, an incisional hernia. In multiple regression analysis, use of laparoscopy was not a predictor of operative intervention for incisional hernia (odds ratio 1·09, 95 per cent confidence interval (c.i.) 0·99 to 1·21; P = 0·083). Some 15 125 (8·1 per cent) of the patients were admitted with a diagnosis of adhesions or had a procedure for division of adhesions. Overall, 3·5 per cent (6637 of 187 148) of patients underwent adhesiolysis. Patients selected for a laparoscopic procedure had lower rates of admission for adhesions (6·3 per cent (692 of 11 013) for laparoscopic versus 8·2 per cent (14 433 of 176 135) for open surgery; P < 0·001) and reintervention for adhesions (2·8 per cent (305 of 11 013) versus 3·6 per cent (6325 of 176 135) respectively; P < 0·001) than those undergoing an open procedure. In multiple regression analysis, patients selected for a laparoscopic procedure had lower subsequent intervention rates for adhesions (odds ratio 0·80, 95 per cent c.i. 0·71 to 0·90; P < 0·001). DISCUSSION: Patients undergoing colorectal resection who are selected for the laparoscopic approach have a lower risk of developing clinically significant adhesions. Copyright © 2012 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
British Journal of Surgery 11/2012; · 4.61 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Background:To identify patient and general practice (GP) characteristics associated with emergency (unplanned) first admissions for cancer in secondary care.Methods:Patients who had a first-time admission with a primary diagnosis of cancer during 2007/08 to 2009/10 were identified from administrative hospital data. We modelled the associations between the odds of these admissions being unplanned and various patient and GP practice characteristics using national data sets, including the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF).Results:There were 639 064 patients with a first-time admission for cancer, with 139 351 unplanned, from 7957 GP practices. The unplanned proportion ranged from 13.9% (patients aged 15-44 years) to 44.9% (patients aged 85 years and older, P<0.0001), with large variation by ethnicity (highest in Asians), deprivation, rurality and cancer type. In unadjusted analyses, all included patient and practice-level variables were statistically significant predictors of the admissions being unplanned. After adjustment, patient area-level deprivation was a key factor (most deprived compared with least deprived quintile OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.32-1.40). Higher total QOF performance protected against unplanned admission (OR 0.94 per 100 points; 95% CI 0.91-0.97); having no GPs with a UK primary medical qualification (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.04-1.11) and being less able to offer appointments within 48 h were associated with higher odds.Conclusion:We have identified some patient and practice characteristics associated with a first-time admission for cancer being unplanned. The former could be used to help identify patients at high risk, while the latter raise questions about the role of practice organisation and staff training.
British Journal of Cancer 07/2012; 107(8):1213-9. · 5.04 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Healthcare-associated urinary tract infections (HCA UTI) account for a large proportion of hospital infections, with recently launched surveillance in the UK focusing on reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections. However, a wealth of administrative information already collected routinely by hospitals is currently not used to its maximum potential for surveillance. AIM: To quantify the evidence base of HCA UTI risk factors and to determine their potential for shaping and informing innovative surveillance tools using local hospital data. METHODS: A systematic literature review was undertaken to find established risks for HCA UTI. Population-attributable risk percentages (PAR%) were calculated for these risk factors, generating a hierarchy of risks. Administrative hospital data were subsequently interrogated for these quantified risks. FINDINGS: Over 30% of the risk factors identified from the systematic literature review were independent predictors of infection. The highest PAR% was associated with urinary catheterization, with the calculation that 79.3% of UTI would be prevented if catheterization was not performed. PAR% calculations were performed for 60% of the independent predictors for HCA UTI. Sixty-five percent of the identified independent risk factors were found to be coded within the administrative hospital dataset, including urinary catheterization. CONCLUSION: This work has quantified established HCA UTI risks and demonstrates that there is potential for more effective use of administrative hospital data for risk monitoring and surveillance of HCA UTI.
The Journal of hospital infection 06/2012; · 3.01 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Little is known about the acquisition of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and whether it represents hospital- or community-acquired infection.
To test the feasibility and value of using national hospital admissions data from Hospital Episode Statistics to examine trends in CDI in England.
Hospital Episode Statistics from the period 1997/98 to 2009/10 were used. Time trends were analysed using two different denominators of hospital activity: total admissions and total bed-days. We explored the impact of sociodemographic factors, comorbidity and healthcare pathways on the risk of CDI.
CDI rates per admission and per bed-days increased from 1997/98 to 2006/07, then decreased significantly by >50% from 2008/9 and 2009/10. This pattern was similar for patients regardless of probable source of infection but the proportion of probable community-acquired CDI cases rose steadily from 7% in 1997/98 to 13% in 2009/10. CDI rates were higher among older patients (odds ratio: >65 years, 10.9), those with more comorbid conditions (odds ratio for Charlson index: >5, 5.6), and among patients admitted as an emergency compared with elective admissions, but no relationship was found with deprivation score.
Our findings support not only the falling trend in CDI found in the national mandatory surveillance scheme from the Health Protection Agency, but a growing proportion of CDI presenting on admission with no evidence of prior hospital exposure in the previous 90 days. We suggest that these may be community-acquired CDI cases.
The Journal of hospital infection 03/2012; 80(3):229-37. · 3.01 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Complication management appears to be of vital importance to differences in survival following surgery between surgical units. Failure-to-rescue (FTR) rates have not yet distinguished surgical from general medical complications. The aim of this study was to assess whether variability exists in FTR rates after reoperation for serious surgical complications following colorectal cancer resections in England.
The Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) database was used to identify patients undergoing primary resection for colorectal cancer between 2000 and 2008 in English National Health Service (NHS) trusts. Units were ranked into quintiles according to overall risk-adjusted mortality. Highest and lowest mortality quintiles were compared with respect to reoperation rates and FTR-surgical (FTR-S) rates. FTR-S was defined as the proportion of patients with an unplanned reoperation who died within the same admission.
Some 144 542 patients undergoing resection for colorectal cancer in 150 English NHS trusts were included. On ranking according to risk-adjusted mortality, rates varied significantly between lowest and highest mortality quintiles (5·4 and 9·3 per cent respectively; P = 0·029). Lowest and highest mortality quintiles had equivalent adjusted reoperation rates (both 4·8 per cent; P = 0·211). FTR-S rates were significantly higher at units within the worst mortality quintile (16·8 versus 11·1 per cent; P = 0·002).
FTR-S rates differed significantly between English colorectal units, highlighting variability in ability to prevent death in this high-risk group. This variability may represent differences in serious surgical complication management. FTR-S represents a readily collectable marker of surgical complication management that is likely to be applicable to other surgical specialties.
British Journal of Surgery 12/2011; 98(12):1775-83. · 4.61 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Enhancing the use of existing datasets within acute hospitals will greatly facilitate hospital epidemiology, surveillance, the monitoring of a variety of processes, outcomes and risk factors, and the provision of alert systems. Multiple overlapping data systems exist within National Health Service (NHS) hospitals in the UK, and many duplicate data recordings take place because of the lack of linkage and interfaces. This results in hospital-collected data not being used efficiently. The objective was to create an inventory of all existing systems, including administrative, management, human resources, microbiology, patient care and other platforms, to describe the data architecture that could contribute valuable information for a hospital epidemiology unit. These datasets were investigated as to how they could be used to generate surveillance data, key performance indicators and risk information that could be shared at board, clinical programme group, specialty and ward level. An example of an output of this integrated data platform and its application in influenza resilience planning and responsiveness is described. The development of metrics for staff absence and staffing levels may also be used as key indicators for risk-monitoring for infection prevention. This work demonstrates the value of such a data inventory and linkage and the importance of more sophisticated uses of existing NHS data, and innovative collaborative approaches to support clinical care, quality improvement, surveillance, emergency planning and research.
The Journal of hospital infection 08/2011; 79(3):231-5. · 3.01 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Routinely collected data sets are increasingly used for research, financial reimbursement and health service planning. High quality data are necessary for reliable analysis. This study aims to assess the published accuracy of routinely collected data sets in Great Britain.
Systematic searches of the EMBASE, PUBMED, OVID and Cochrane databases were performed from 1989 to present using defined search terms. Included studies were those that compared routinely collected data sets with case or operative note review and those that compared routinely collected data with clinical registries.
Thirty-two studies were included. Twenty-five studies compared routinely collected data with case or operation notes. Seven studies compared routinely collected data with clinical registries. The overall median accuracy (routinely collected data sets versus case notes) was 83.2% (IQR: 67.3-92.1%). The median diagnostic accuracy was 80.3% (IQR: 63.3-94.1%) with a median procedure accuracy of 84.2% (IQR: 68.7-88.7%). There was considerable variation in accuracy rates between studies (50.5-97.8%). Since the 2002 introduction of Payment by Results, accuracy has improved in some respects, for example primary diagnoses accuracy has improved from 73.8% (IQR: 59.3-92.1%) to 96.0% (IQR: 89.3-96.3), P= 0.020.
Accuracy rates are improving. Current levels of reported accuracy suggest that routinely collected data are sufficiently robust to support their use for research and managerial decision-making.
Journal of Public Health 07/2011; 34(1):138-48. · 2.06 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Reduced hospital stay confers clinical and economic benefits for patients and healthcare providers. This article examines the length of stay and consequent bed resource usage of patients undergoing elective excisional colorectal surgery in English NHS trusts.
All patients undergoing elective colorectal resections for malignancy between 1996 and 2006 in English NHS trusts were included from the Hospital Episode Statistics data set. Unifactorial and multifactorial analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of prolonged stay and 28-day readmission.
Over the 10-year period, 186,013 patients underwent elective colorectal procedures in 181 NHS trusts. About 2.893 b million bed days were utilized for elective colorectal surgery. Admission stay was shorter following colonic surgery than following rectal surgery (median 11 vs 13 days, P < 0.001). A 2-day decrease in median stay was observed over the 10-year period for both colonic and rectal procedures. Readmissions within 28 days of discharge were higher following rectal excision than following colonic surgery (9.4 vs 7.6%, P < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed the following independent predictors of prolonged hospital stay: distal (vs proximal) bowel resection, benign pathology, open technique, increasing age, comorbidity, social deprivation and low provider volume status. Independent predictors of 28-day readmission included distal bowel resection, benign diagnosis, young age, social deprivation and high provider volume status.
Patients of advanced age, with associated comorbidities, and those living in areas of social deprivation are at increased risk of prolonged stay. Targeted pre-emptive discharge planning and enhanced use of laparoscopic surgery could improve bed resource utilization.
Colorectal Disease 07/2011; 13(7):816-22. · 2.93 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This study was primarily aimed to quantify perioperative mortality risk in elderly patients undergoing elective colonic resectional surgery. In addition, the safety of minimally invasive colonic surgery in this patient group was evaluated.
All patients aged > 75 undergoing elective colonic resection for colorectal malignancy between 1996 and 2007 in English NHS hospitals were included from the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) dataset.
Between the study dates, 28,746 patients > 75 years underwent elective colonic resection. The national annual number of colonic excisions carried out amongst elderly patients increased from 2188 patients in 1996/7 to 3240 patients in 2006/7. Following adjustment for gender, comorbidity and surgical approach, advancing age was an independent predictor for 30-day mortality (OR 2.47 for patients aged 85-89 vs 75-79, P < 0.001). Use of laparoscopy was a significant predictor of reduced perioperative mortality (OR 0.56, P = 0.003) once adjusted for advancing age, gender and comorbidity. Comparison of 30-day and 1-year postoperative mortality following elective colonic resection in patients aged 90 revealed a large excess of patients dying outside of the immediate perioperative period (10.1% and 26.2% for proximal cancers, respectively; 12.9% and 36.1% for distal colonic resections, respectively).
Advancing age is an independent risk factor for postoperative death in elderly patients undergoing elective colonic resection for cancer. The risk of death in the elderly is extremely high and surgical decision-making should incorporate the mortality risk that occurs outside the immediate perioperative period. In this national series, patients selected for a laparoscopic procedure were at lower risk of perioperative death than those undergoing the conventional approach.
Colorectal Disease 07/2011; 13(7):779-85. · 2.93 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection in hospitals in developed countries continues to be a major public health hazard despite increased control measures including review of antibiotic policies and hygiene measures. Patients with colitis are thought to be particularly vulnerable to C. difficile associated diarrhoea (CDAD). Identifying the clinical burden among hospitalised patients admitted with inflammatory bowel disease is an essential first step towards identifying and treating severe C. difficile infection in such individuals.
To determine excess morbidity and in-hospital mortality associated with hospital acquired CDAD in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD-CDAD-HAI) admitted to NHS hospitals in England compared with those admitted for inflammatory bowel disease alone.
Time trends study of all admissions to NHS hospitals between 2002/03 and 2007/08. We developed case definitions for IBD-CDAD-HAI patients. The primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and length of stay. The secondary outcome was gastrointestinal surgery.
Patients in the IBD-CDAD-HAI group were more likely to die in hospital (adjusted OR 6.32), had 27.9 days longer in-patient stays and higher gastrointestinal surgery rates (adjusted OR 1.87) than patients admitted for inflammatory bowel disease alone.
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease admitted to NHS hospitals in England with co-existent C. difficile infection are at risk of greater in-hospital mortality and morbidity than patients admitted for inflammatory bowel disease alone.
Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics 06/2011; 33(12):1322-31. · 3.77 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This observational study aimed to determine national provision and outcome following pouch surgery (restorative proctocolectomy, RPC) and to examine the effect of institutional and surgeon caseload on outcome.
All patients undergoing primary RPC between April 1996 and March 2008 in England were identified from the administrative database Hospital Episode Statistics. Institutions and surgeons were categorized according to the total RPC caseload performed over the study interval.
Some 5771 primary elective pouch procedures were undertaken at 154 National Health Service hospital trusts. Median follow-up was 65 (interquartile range (i.q.r.) 28-106) months. The 30-day in-hospital mortality rate was 0·5 per cent and the 1-year overall mortality rate 1·5 per cent. Some 30·5 per cent of trusts performed fewer than two procedures per year, and 91·4 per cent of surgical teams (456 of 499) carried out 20 or fewer RPCs over 8 years. Median surgeon volume was 4 (i.q.r. 1-9) cases. Failure occurred in 6·4 per cent of cases. Low-volume surgeons operated on more patients at the extremes of age (P < 0·001) and a lower proportion with ulcerative colitis (P < 0·001). Older age, increasing co-morbidity, increasing social deprivation, and both lower provider and surgeon caseload were independent predictors of longer length of stay. Older patient age and low institutional volume status were independent predictors of failure.
Many English institutions and surgeons carry out extremely low volumes of RPC surgery. Case selection differed significantly between high- and low-volume surgeons. Institutional volume and older age were positively associated with increased pouch failure.
British Journal of Surgery 03/2011; 98(3):408-17. · 4.61 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to identify outcome differences amongst patients undergoing resection of colorectal cancer at English National Health Service trusts using Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). A comparison was undertaken of trusts that submitted and those that did not submit, or submitted only poorly, voluntarily to a colorectal clinical registry, the National Bowel Cancer Audit Programme (NBOCAP).
The NBOCAP data set was used to classify trusts according to submitter status. HES data were used for outcome analysis. Data for major resections of colorectal cancer performed between 1 August 2007 and 31 July 2008 were obtained from HES. Trusts not submitting data to NBOCAP and those submitting less than 10 per cent of their total workload were termed 'non-submitters'. HES data for 30-day mortality, length of stay and readmission rates were compared according to submitter and non-submitter status in multifactorial analyses.
A total of 17,722 patients were identified from HES for inclusion. Unadjusted 30-day in-hospital mortality rates were higher in non-submitting than in submitting trusts (5·2 versus 4·0 per cent; P = 0·005). Submitter status was independently associated with reduced 30-day mortality (odds ratio 0·76, 95 per cent confidence interval 0·61 to 0·96; P = 0·021) in regression analysis.
A higher postoperative mortality rate following resection of colorectal cancer was found in trusts that do not voluntarily report data to NBOCAP. Implications regarding the voluntary nature of submission to such registries should be reviewed if they are to be used for outcome benchmarking.
British Journal of Surgery 01/2011; 98(1):132-9. · 4.61 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To use the hospital standardised mortality ratio (HSMR), as a tool for Dutch hospitals to analyse their death rates by comparing their risk-adjusted mortality with the national average.
The method uses routine administrative databases that are available nationally in The Netherlands--the National Medical Registration dataset for the years 2005-2007. Diagnostic groups that led to 80% of hospital deaths were included in the analysis. The method adjusts for a number of case-mix factors per diagnostic group determined through a logistic regression modelling process.
In The Netherlands, the case-mix factors are primary diagnosis, age, sex, urgency of admission, length of stay, comorbidity (Charlson Index), social deprivation, source of referral and month of admission. The Dutch HSMR model performs well at predicting a patient's risk of death as measured by a c statistic of the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.91. The ratio of the HSMR of the Dutch hospital with the highest value in 2005-2007 is 2.3 times the HSMR of the hospital with the lowest value.
Overall hospital HSMRs and mortality at individual diagnostic group level can be monitored using statistical process control charts to give an early warning of possible problems with quality of care. The use of routine data in a standardised and robust model can be of value as a starting point for improvement of Dutch hospital outcomes. HSMRs have been calculated for several other countries.
Quality and Safety in Health Care 02/2010; 19(1):9-13. · 1.68 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Patient safety is recognised worldwide as a major healthcare issue. The US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality developed a series of evidence-based Patient Safety Indicators for use with hospital administrative data, but to date these have not been translated for use in the UK. They measure harm due to treatment and include infections, obstetric tears and foreign bodies left in the patient following surgery. We aimed to apply 10 of the AHRQ indicators for use in English routine hospital admissions data as the first step in validation, and describe their rates in relation to established measures of negative outcome such as mortality.
Translation of US coding systems into England systems using look-up files and clinical coding advice. Descriptive analysis of rates, length of stay, mortality and emergency readmission. Qualitative feedback from hospitals on their rates and level of interest in the indicators.
The translation presented a number of challenges, particularly regarding the lack of direct correspondence between the two procedure coding systems. There were a total of 35,918 potential adverse events among the nine successfully translated indicators in England in the financial year 2005/6, with wide variation between hospital trusts. Potential adverse events were usually associated with higher mortality and unplanned readmission rates and longer length of stay. Postoperative sepsis, for example, had a rate of 4.2 per 1000 admissions and was associated with a median length of stay of 19 days compared with 6 days for admissions for operations without sepsis recorded, and was associated with a mortality of 14.7% compared with 0.5%.
These indicators have potential for use in tracking progress in harm-reducing programmes, but prospective evaluation of data quality and coding practices is required to fully assess their utility.
Quality and Safety in Health Care 09/2009; 18(4):303-8. · 1.68 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We developed the 'Pragmatic Proxy Protocol' (PPP) to estimate the prevalence of hospital-acquired infection (HAI) by integrating our existing pharmacy serial point prevalence studies of anti-infective prescribing practices with electronic data on microbiological and radiographic markers of infection. Our method was evaluated against the standard Hospital Infection Society/Infection Control Nurses Association Protocol (HIP). In the non-surgical patients, PPP has a sensitivity of 1.00 [confidence interval (CI): 0.70-1.00] and specificity of 0.97 (CI: 0.93-0.99). PPP suggests that for non-surgical patients, the prevalence of HAI using HIP could be underestimated by 42%. PPP takes about two-thirds of the time of HIP (75 vs 106 h) and is at least one-third cheaper. It could easily be adapted to advances in electronic reporting and, with the development of Anti-infective Care Bundles, would increase its sensitivity for the detection of HAI in surgical patients. PPP could be used to increase the frequency of routine HAI surveillance to determine the overall burden of infection and assess the efficacy of intervention strategies in a timely manner allowing rapid, direct feedback and engagement with clinicians.
The Journal of hospital infection 08/2009; 73(1):34-40. · 3.01 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Diverticular disease has a changing disease pattern with limited epidemiological data.
To describe diverticular disease admission rates and associated outcomes through national population study.
Data were obtained from the English 'Hospital Episode Statistics' database between 1996 and 2006. Primary outcomes examined were 30-day overall and 1-year mortality, 28-day readmission rates and extended length of stay (LOS) beyond the 75th percentile (median inpatient LOS = 6 days). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent predictors of these outcomes.
Between the study dates 560 281 admissions with a primary diagnosis of diverticular disease were recorded in England. The national admission rate increased from 0.56 to 1.20 per 1000 population/year. 232 047 (41.4%) were inpatient admissions and, of these, 55 519 (23.9%) were elective and 176 528 (76.1%) emergency. Surgery was undertaken in 37 767 (16.3%). The 30-day mortality was 5.1% (n = 6735) and 1-year mortality was 14.5% (n = 11 567). The 28-day readmission rate was 9.6% (n = 21 160). Increasing age, comorbidity and emergency admission were independent predictors of all primary outcomes.
Diverticular disease admissions increased over the course of the study. Patients of increasing age, admitted as emergency and significant comorbidity should be identified, allowing management modification to optimize outcomes.
Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics 08/2009; 30(11-12):1171-82. · 3.77 Impact Factor
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Annals of surgery 05/2009; · 7.90 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Laparoscopic appendicectomy is increasingly used in children. This national retrospective study compared outcomes of paediatric open and laparoscopic appendicectomy.
Length of stay, readmission rates and mortality in children undergoing open and laparoscopic appendicectomy in English NHS Trusts between 1 April 1996 and 31 March 2006 were compared. Procedures coded as emergency excision of appendix (OPCS-4 H01) on the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) database in patients less than 15 years of age were included. Multivariate analysis was used to identify independent predictors of length of hospital stay and mortality.
Eighty-nine thousand, four-hundred and ninety-seven (89,497) appendicectomies were studied; of which, 2,689 (3%) were performed laparoscopically. The percentage of laparoscopic cases rose from 0.6 to 8.4% between 1996 and 2006 (Pearson's r = 0.954, P < 0.001). Length of stay (median 3, interquartile range 2 days, P = 0.068) and 28-day readmission rates were similar (6.3 vs. 7.2%, respectively; P = 0.072) between groups. No independent hospital stay advantage for laparoscopy was observed (P = 0.121). No difference in 30-day mortality (P = 0.986) or 365-day mortality (P = 0.598) was demonstrated.
Hospital stay, readmission rates and mortality are similar following laparoscopic and open appendicectomy in children.
Pediatric Surgery International 10/2008; 24(11):1223-7. · 1.25 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Using Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data from England for the period 1996-2006, we performed a descriptive study to compare records of Clostridium difficile for inpatients aged >or=65 years and for all patients following any of four types of orthopaedic procedures. Results showed that infection rates for C. difficile increased whereas rates for orthopaedic surgical site infections (SSIs) decreased. Both types of infection were more common in older female patients and in patients with greater comorbidity, but showed little difference in rates between areas with varying deprivation scores. For 2004 and 2005, we compared the HES data with mandatory reporting data from the Health Protection Agency (HPA). This showed recording of C. difficile infection to be higher from HPA data than from HES data. In contrast, compared with HPA data for orthopaedic SSIs, there were many more SSIs and numbers of procedures recorded from HES data for all four orthopaedic procedures, although the infection rates themselves were broadly similar. These findings reflect the limitations of both methods used and we suggest that there is a case for using both sources of information, either independently or linked at an individual level in order to obtain a more complete picture of these important healthcare-associated infections. If better coding could be encouraged or made mandatory within HES data, then the current dual system of recording might be unnecessary for effective surveillance of orthopaedic SSIs.
Journal of Hospital Infection 10/2008; 70(4):321-7. · 3.39 Impact Factor
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British Journal of Surgery 07/2008; 95(6):801; author reply 801. · 4.61 Impact Factor
