title: Assessment of ventilator-associated events using the geometric distribution.
abstract: Hospital-acquired rare events, such as nosocomial infections and other low-occurring incidents, in the clinical environment are difficult to monitor using traditional quality indicators. Using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition of ventilator-associated events, we demonstrate an alternative method for assessment of rare events.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH. Electronic address: ragheb.assaly@utoledo.edu.
authors.forename: Ragheb
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Assaly
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH.
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH.
authors.forename: Fadi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Safi
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH.
authors.forename: Sadik
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khuder
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Macko
mesh_terms: D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D006268:Health Facilities; D006801:Humans; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: Health care-associated infections; Performance measures; Probability; Surveillance