Development of an investigation form for hemodialysis infection outbreak: Identifying sources in the early stage.

Background: There are many infectious factors causing the outbreak of hemodialysis infection, which may easily lead to the delay of investigation and treatment. This study aimed to develop an investigation form for hemodialysis infection outbreak (HIO), and to identify sources of outbreak in early stage.

Methods: After an exhaustive literature review, we used the Delphi method to determine the indicators and relative risk scores of the assessment tools through 2 rounds of specialist consultation and overall consideration of the opinions and suggestions of 18 specialists.

Results: A total of 87 studies of HIOs were eligible for inclusion. The mean authority coefficient (Cr) was 0.89. Kendall's W coefficient of the specialist consultation was 0.359 after 2 rounds of consultation (P < .005), suggesting that the specialists had similar opinions. Based on 4 primary items and 13 secondary items of the source of HIO, and tripartite distribution characteristics of infected patients, we constructed the investigation form.

Conclusions: The investigation form may be implemented during the initial phase of an outbreak investigation, it is a prerequisite for taking effective control measures, avoiding HIO occurrence. However, the efficacy of the investigation form needs to be further evaluated.