CDC/NHSN surveillance definition of health care–associated infection and criteria for specific types of infections in the acute care setting

Since 1988, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published 2 articles in which nosocomial infection and criteria for specific types of nosocomial infection for surveillance purposes for use in acute care settings have been defined.1,2 This document replaces those articles, which are now considered obsolete, and uses the generic term “health care–associated infection” or “HAI” instead of “nosocomial.” This document reflects the elimination of criterion 1 of clinical sepsis (effective in National Healthcare Safety Network [NHSN] facilities since January 2005) and criteria for laboratory–confirmed bloodstream infection (LCBI).