Patient Safety Component

The Patient Safety Component of NHSN includes surveillance methods to identify and track device-associated infections, procedure-associated infections, medication–associated issues that impact infection rates or treatment, multidrug-resistant organism and Clostridium difficile incidence and prevalence, as well as administration of influenza vaccine to high-risk inpatient populations before and during the influenza season. Within the Patient Safety Component, like-types of surveillance are grouped into modules. Instructions and standardized surveillance methods and definitions for each module are provided in specialized protocols.

Modules may be used singly or simultaneously and each module has its own minimum time-period for required participation (see individual modules). Regardless of the combination of modules a facility chooses to participate in, a total of 6 months of data must be reported annually to NHSN for continued participation. The organizational structure of NHSN is outlined below:

Device-associated Module

• CLABSI - Central Line-associated Bloodstream Infection
• CLIP - Central Line Insertion Practices Adherence
• VAP - Ventilator-associated Pneumonia
• CAUTI - Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infection
• DE - Dialysis Event

See Device-associated Module for more information.

Procedure-associated Module

• SSI - Surgical Site Infection
• PPP - Post-procedure Pneumonia

See Procedure-associated Module for more information.

Multidrug-resistant Organism and Clostridium difficile Infection (MDRO/CDI) Module

• Infection Surveillance
• LabID Event Reporting
• Prevention Process Measures Surveillance
  • Monitoring Adherence to Hand Hygiene
  • Monitoring Adherence to Gown and Gloves Use as Part of Contact Precautions
  • Monitoring Adherence to Active Surveillance Testing
• Active Surveillance Testing Outcome Measures
• Clostridium difficile Infection Surveillance
• Clostridium difficile LabID Event Reporting

See MDRO/CDI Module for more information.

Vaccination Module

• Summary Method
• Patient-level Method

See Vaccination Module for more information.

Data collection forms and instructions

• Survey Forms
• General Forms
• Device-associated (DA) Module
  • Dialysis Forms
  • CLABSI and VAP Forms
  • CAUTI Forms
  • CLIP Forms
  • VAP and PPP Forms
• Procedure-associated (PA) Module
  • SSI and PPP forms
• MDRO / CDI Module
  • MDRO Forms
• Vaccination
  • Summary Method
  • Patient-Level Method