Connecticut State Department of Public Health

COVID-19 Community Levels Update, March 17, 2023: The CDC has listed all eight Connecticut counties in the Low/Green category as part of its weekly Community Levels update. People who are at a high risk for severe illness should consider additional measures to minimize their exposure to COVID-19 and respiratory illnesses. Visit the CDC COVID-19 Community Levels Map for updates.


Please visit covidtests.gov to request four free COVID-19 self-test kits from the Federal Government. Find a location that has a supply of COVID-19 therapeutics as part of the Test to Treat initiative here. The complete DPH COVID-19 toolbox is located at ct.gov/coronavirus.

Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance Reporting Requirements

 

Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI) Reporting 

In accordance with Connecticut General Statutes Section 19a-490 n-o, acute care hospitals (ACH), long-term acute care hospitals (LTACH), inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRF), and outpatient dialysis facilities must report certain HAIs to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH). 
 

To fulfill DPH HAI reporting requirements, facilities must use the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), a free of charge, web-based surveillance system established and maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Information about NHSN and enrollment instructions for facilities new to this reporting are available here: https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/.

 

Connecticut HAI reporting requirements mirror those established by the federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) for facilities participating in CMS quality improvement and reporting programs. NHSN reports are due to both CMS and DPH according to the following schedule: https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/pdfs/cms/cms-reporting-requirements-deadlines.pdf


The following HAI measures are currently mandated to be reported:

 

Acute care hospitals

  • Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) in all adult, pediatric, and neonatal intensive care units (ICU) as well as in all adult and pediatric medical, surgical, and medical/surgical wards;
  • Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) in all adult and pediatric ICU as well as in all adult and pediatric medical, surgical, and medical/surgical wards;
  • Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia identified using laboratory testing methods (LabID Events) in all inpatient locations;
  • Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) LabID Events in all inpatient locations;
  • Surgical site infections (SSI) following colon surgical procedures; and
  • SSI following abdominal hysterectomies.

Long-term acute care hospitals

  • CLABSI in all bedded inpatient care locations;
  • CAUTI in all bedded inpatient care locations;
  • MRSA bacteremia LabID Events in all inpatient locations;
  • CDI LabID Events in all inpatient locations; and
  • Ventilator-associated events (VAE) in all adult inpatient care locations (intensive care, ward).

Inpatient rehabilitation facilities

  • CAUTI in all bedded inpatient care locations;
  • MRSA bacteremia LabID Events in all inpatient locations; and
  • CDI LabID Events in all inpatient locations.

Outpatient hemodialysis facilities

The HAI-AR Program conducts surveillance for the following pathogens on CT Reportable Laboratory Findings form OL-15C. Isolate submission to the Connecticut State Public Health Laboratory is mandated for these pathogens, when isolated from the appropriate sites.

 

Antimicrobial Resistance (AR) Reporting
  • Candida auris isolated from any site
  • Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) from certain sites
  • Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) from certain sites

Please see further guidance for CRE and CRAB reporting.

 

For inquiries about HAI-AR reporting requirements, Contact Us.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

This page last updated 1/2/2020.