title: Conversion of prevalence survey data on nosocomial infections to incidence estimates: a simplified tool for surveillance?
abstract: We calculated the incidence of nosocomial infection in 2 intensive care units (ICUs) on the basis of prevalence data recorded from 1997 through 2002 and compared these estimates to cumulative incidences measured in the 2 ICUs during the same period to investigate the feasibility and the reliability of converting prevalence data to incidence estimates. Decreases in the calculated and measured incidences over time in the ICUs were found to be statistically significantly related.
authors.affiliation: Infection Control Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Bellevue, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France. philippe.berthelot@chu-st-etienne.fr
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berthelot
authors.forename: Maud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garnier
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fascia
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guyomarch
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jospé
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lucht
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zéni
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Auboyer
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pozzetto
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015233:Models, Statistical; D015995:Prevalence; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance