Automated bloodstream infection surveillance - Measuring what matters?
From Infection Control Matters by Brett Mitchell
April 1, 2026 · 16 min · Episode 180
About this episode
Brett and Martin discuss the potential for automated surveillance of bloodstream infections based on recent studies.
How well do we really measure bloodstream infections and could it be routinely automated? In this episode, Brett and Martin look at two papers on automated hospital-onset bacteraemia (HOB) surveillance, one a retrospective review in a single hospital in Berlin (Rüther et al) and a national UK study (Cregan, Oxford and UKHSA) exploring whether surveillance could move from local, manual processes to a fully automated national system, which was spectacularly accurate. Ruther, F. D., M. Behnke, L. A. Pena Diaz, F. Schwab, C. Geffers and S. J. S. Aghdassi (2026). "Advancing hospital-onset bacteraemia surveillance: a five-year retrospective study following the hospital-wide implementation of an automated surveillance system at a German university hospital." Antimicrob Resist Infect Control 15(1). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13756-026-01708-9 Cregan, J., O. Nsonwu, D. Chudasama, S. Hopkins, B. Muller-Pebody, R. Hope, C. Brown, D. W. Eyre, T. P. Quan and A. S. Walker (2026). "The potential of a centrally implemented system for national surveillance of bloodstream infections in England, compared to current local surveillance, 2023-2024." J Hosp Infect 169: 5–14…
People in this episode
Host: Brett Mitchell
Guest: Martin
Topics covered
- bloodstream infections
- automated surveillance
- hospital-onset bacteraemia
- healthcare systems
- infection control
Keywords
- automated surveillance
- bloodstream infections
- hospital-onset bacteraemia
- infection control
- healthcare
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Oxford, UKHSA
Places: Berlin
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