Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[INFO-98-10]

Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and

Recommendations

In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on

proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease

Registry (ATSDR) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects.

To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a

copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call the CDC/ATSDR

Reports Clearance Officer on (404) 639-7090.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of

information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of

the agency, including whether the information shall have practical

utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality,

utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways

to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents,

including through the use of automated collection techniques for other

forms of information technology. Send comments to Wilma Johnson, CDC/

ATSDR Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24, Atlanta, GA

30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this

notice.

Proposed Projects

1. Project Intensive Care Antimicrobial Resistance Epidemiology

(ICARE), Phase 3--Reinstatement--The Hospital Infections Program,

National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention, is proposing a study to investigate the

[[Page 4455]]

relationship between use of antimicrobial agents and the incidence of

antimicrobial resistance at 40 U.S. hospitals. The proposed Phase 3

study of Project ICARE will be very similar to Phase 2 ICARE with minor

revisions. We hope to enroll 40 hospitals and address many confounding

factors of antimicrobial resistance. In addition, these hospitals will

serve as a sentinel surveillance system for different antimicrobial

resistant pathogens, such as vancomycin resistant staphylococci. About

half of the hospitals have participated in Phase 2 of Project ICARE.

Participating hospitals will all be active participants of the CDC's

National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) system. Phase 3 of

Project ICARE is a refinement of the Phase 2 study and will allow

interhospital comparison of data (i.e., sending interim reports back to

study hospitals) facilitated by incorporating differences in culturing

frequency, case-mix by ICU type and speciality wards (i.e., internal

organization), barrier precautions, and prescribing practice policies.

Phase 3 will also allow for valid comparison of attempts at reducing

antimicrobial resistance in study hospitals (i.e., publish results of

interventions to reduce antimicrobials resistance at study hospitals).

Also, key parameters of antimicrobial use could be correlated with

antimicrobial resistance levels and tracked through the hospital's

quality improvement indicator process, pharmacy and therapeutics

committee, or medical staff. Unnecessary use of antimicrobials may be

reduced by these efforts if the information can be provided to

hospitals. Average cost to respondents is $17.18.

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Average

Number of burden/ Total

Form name respondents Number responses/respondent response (in burden (in

hours) hours)

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Primary contact........................... 40 12.......................... 1 480

Pharmacy.................................. 40 48 (median)................. 2.0 3,840

Microbiology.............................. 40 60 (median)................. 0.5 1,200

Isolates.................................. 40 80 (maximum)................ 0.20 640

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Total............................... ........... ............................ ............ 6,160

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Dated: January 23, 1998.

Charles Gollmar,

Acting Associate Director for Policy Planning And Evaluation, Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

[FR Doc. 98-2163 Filed 1-28-98; 8:45 am]

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