Validation of fuzzy sets in an automated detection system for intensive-care-unit-acquired central-venous-catheter-related infections.
Central venous catheters play an important role in patient care in intensive care units (ICUs), but their use comes at the risk of catheter-related infections (CRIs). Electronic surveillance systems can detect CRIs more accurately than manual surveillance, but these systems often omit patients that do not exhibit all infection signs to their full degree, the so-called borderline group. By extending an electronic surveillance system with fuzzy constructs, the borderline group can be identified. In this study, we examined the size of the borderline group for systemic CRIs (CRI2) by calculating the frequency of fuzzy values for CRI2 and related infection parameters in patient data involving ten ICUs (75 beds) over one year. We also validated the expert-defined fuzzy constructs by comparing overall and CRI2-specific support. The study showed that more than 86% of the data contained fuzzy values, and that the borderline group for CRI2 consisted of 2% of the study group. It was also confirmed that most fuzzy constructs were good representatives of the borderline CRI2 patient group.
Section for Medical Expert and Knowledge-Based Systems, Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics, and Intelligent Systems, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Jeroen S
JS
de Bruin
Alexander
A
Blacky
Walter
W
Koller
Klaus-Peter
KP
Adlassnig
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D055499:Catheter-Related Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D062905:Central Venous Catheters / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D056902:Clinical Alarms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D017143:Fuzzy Logic; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult