Worldwide Outbreak Database: the largest collection of nosocomial outbreaks

Abstract

Epidemiological findings of a single outbreak event may not be generalized; however, the characteristics of a typical outbreak can be determined on the basis of a large number of similar events. The Outbreak Database ( http://www.outbreak-database.com ) is the largest collection of nosocomial outbreaks currently available-and is still expanding. Articles are filed systematically, enabling those on a specific parameter of interest to be retrieved quickly. As such, this database is an extremely valuable tool on many medically related fronts, such as for educating other medical personnel, providing relevant information during the investigation of an acute outbreak, or addressing scientific-oriented questions. Several systematic reviews on a wide range of subjects, including sources of infections, types of pathogens, routes of transmission, appropriate infection control measures, and patients at risk of infection, have already been published based on information contained in this database. As this database may be used free of charge, all medical staff in the field of infection control, hygiene, and hospital epidemiology should be aware of its existence.

Results from the First 12 Months of the National Surveillance of Healthcare Associated Outbreaks in Germany, 2011/2012

“…Published reports have a tendency for reporting exceptional events, pathogens, and dimensions of outbreaks, whereas mandatory surveillance is more likely to display “reality” [19]. Rhinehart et al found norovirus (18.2%) to be the most frequent cause of HAI-outbreaks followed by S. aureus (17.5%), Acinetobacter (13.7%), and C. difficile (10.3%) in a survey among US infection preventionists for the years 2008 and 2009 [18].…”

Health care workers causing large nosocomial outbreaks: a systematic review

“…In order to find appropriate descriptions of NO we first of all made a data request for outbreaks whose source was “personnel” in the Outbreak Database (http://www.outbreak-database.com). This is an internet-based, worldwide database for NO continuously updated by the Institute for Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Charité – University Medicine Berlin (Germany) currently containing over 2,900 outbreaks [1]. In a second step we supplemented our data by a PubMed search on September 3 rd 2010, consisting of the following search terms [(“nosocomial”) AND (“outbreak” OR “epidemic”) AND (“personnel” OR “staff” OR “health care worker”)].…”

Literatur-Update zu Ausbrüchen auf neonatologischen Intensivpflegestationen – Serratia marcescens, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii und Pseudomonas aeruginosa

“…Für die Weiterentwicklung der Qualität von Ausbruchsberichten wäre es von erheblichem Nutzen, wenn die im ORION Statement [67] hinterlegten Grundprinzipien der Berichterstattung in Bezug auf nosokomiale Ausbrüche konsequent Beachtung fänden. Die Outbreak Database (www.outbreakdatabase.com) [35,66,68] ist in diesem Kontext ein hochinformatives und praxisrelevantes Instrument.…”