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The Future Of Infection Surveillance At Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Jenna Godfrey, Jory Wasserburger, Scott Plaster, Susan Kellie, Julia Manweiler, Robert C. Schenck Jr

UNM Orthopaedic Research Journal

Background: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) has begun mandating infection surveillance at surgical sites, which started in hospitals and is now in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs). We found a 0.1% increase in infection rate between 2005 and 2007, which prompted us to examine the issue further. The purpose of the current study was to summarize the results of an investigation after an outbreak of infection at our ASC, specifically attempting to identify a common pathogen, vector, or unknown lapses in infection prevention. Additionally, we relate our experience to current trends in infection prevention at ASCs by examining the …