Hemodialysis patients are at a high risk for infection because the process of hemodialysis requires frequent use of catheters or insertion of needles to access the bloodstream. Clusters of infections among dialysis clinic patients usually warrant engagement with public health and prompt investigation.

Featured Resources:

Helpful resources and guidance for outbreak investigation include:

• CDC’s hemodialysis facility audit tools and checklists which can be used to assess infection prevention practices as part of an outbreak investigation or for general quality improvement
• CDC’s list of publications describing dialysis-related outbreaks involving a wide variety of viral, bacterial and fungal infections as well as chemical intoxication

Additional Resources:

• CDC’s Making Dialysis Safer for Patients Coalition
• CDC’s Core Interventions that have been proven to reduce dialysis bloodstream infections (BSIs)
• ASTHO’s ASTHOExperts blog, which describes the role of health departments in addressing infection control and outbreak response in dialysis settings
• CORHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens topic page