title: Infections and infection risks in home care settings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the characteristics of home healthcare clients with respect to infection risks and the presence of infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive survey of client charts using a point prevalence design.
  
  
  METHODS
  A private San Francisco, California, Bay area home care agency.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random sample of 175 clients (28%) was taken from the active client list for a single day; demographic data and clinical data from the last visit prior to the selection day were collected from each chart.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The clients were predominantly elderly (mean = 68.6) with an average of 3.6 co-morbid conditions; 12% had an invasive device. Over 20% had an infection on the day surveyed. Five percent had an infection that occurred during home care delivery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A substantial proportion of home health clients have infections, and they represent persons with a number of the risks associated with infections. Guidelines for defining and monitoring infections in home care need to be developed. Hospital-based surveillance methods are not altogether appropriate in this setting; redesigning methods such as targeted surveillance, monitoring rehospitalization, or immunization practices are discussed as potential ways to measure quality of care in the home setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health, Community and Administrative Nursing, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0608.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012495:San Francisco / Q000453:epidemiology