Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) as Reportable Diseases
In January 2013, the Georgia Notifiable Disease/Conditions List was updated to include HAI NHSN data to be reported by healthcare facilities participating in Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) programs.
Healthcare facilities must confer rights to the State of Georgia Users Group of the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) and follow NHSN protocols to complete HAI reporting. Acute care hospitals are required to report CLABSI, CAUTI, CDI, MRSA, SSI COLO, and SSI HYST. Long-term acute care hospitals are required to report CLABSI, CAUTI, VAE, CDI, and MRSA. Inpatient rehabilitation facilities are required to report CAUTI, CDI, and MRSA.
Data entered into NHSN and accessed by DPH will be protected and confidential. Data will only be shared in aggregate.
DPH Documentation for HAIs as Notifiable Disease
- Commissioner’s Announcement to Facilities
- HAI Notifiable Disease Announcement Letter from the Commissioner
- Development of HAI Reporting Planning in Georgia
Instructions for Joining and Confirmation of Rights to the State User’s Group on NHSN
CMS NHSN Reporting
Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE)
As of July 2018, Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) were added to the GDPH Notifiable Disease List. For the purposes of surveillance, CRE is defined as any Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., or Escherichia coli that is resistant to carbapenems or that produces carbapenemase.
Laboratories are required to report CRE results via electronic messaging or secure fax and submit isolates to the Georgia Department of Public Health within 7 days. Results can be faxed to 404-657-7517, attention Liz Smith, MDRO Epidemiologist.
Patient information can be entered into the CRE case report form in SendSS.
To create a SendSS authorized user account, or for assistance with an existing account, please contact Angela Alexander, SendSS Administrator by email at Angela.Alexander@dph.ga.gov or by phone at 404-657-6450.
CRE Isolate Submission
- Click here for the GPHL CRE/ARLN Sentinel Laboratory Submission Form
- Click here for Category B Shipping Guidance
- Click here for Laboratory CRE Reporting and Submission Guidelines
Background and Justification:
https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.cste.org/resource/resmgr/2015PS/2015PSFinal/15-ID-05.pdf
https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.cste.org/resource/resmgr/2017PS/2017PSFinal/17-ID-04.pdf
Candida auris: Call for Cases
Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant yeast that can cause invasive infections and is associated with high mortality. C. auris can spread from patient to patient within healthcare facilities and cause prolonged healthcare-associated outbreaks.
C. auris can be misidentified as a number of different organisms when using traditional phenotypic methods for yeast identification.
When to suspect C. auris: https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/candida-auris/recommendations.html
Healthcare facilities or laboratories that suspect they have a patient with C. auris infection should contact the HAI team at GDPH (HAI@dph.ga.gov or 404-657-2588) and CDC (candidaauris@cdc.gov) immediately for guidance.
Background and Justification:
https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.cste.org/resource/resmgr/2017PS/2017PSFinal/17-ID-03.pdf
Page last updated 12/14/2018