Weinstein R A, Stamm W E
Lancet. 1977 Oct 22;2(8043):862-4. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(77)90793-0.
20 (11%) of 181 nosocomial epidemics investigated by the Center for Disease Control during 1956-75 were actually false outbreaks. In each pseudoepidemic, on-site investigation showed that errors in specimen processing (11), surveillance artefacts (6), or clinical misdiagnosis (3) had resulted in real clusters of false infections or artefactual clusters of real infections. Specimen-processing errors included contamination during collection or transport, cross-contamination in the laboratory, and incorrect identification of organisms. Prevention of pseudoepidemics depends on quality control aimed at avoiding such errors and on close cooperation between laboratory workers and clinicians, to ensure systematic review of incongruous laboratory results.
疾病控制中心在1956年至1975年期间调查的181起医院感染流行事件中，有20起（11%）实际上是假暴发。在每起假流行事件中，现场调查显示，标本处理错误（11起）、监测假象（6起）或临床误诊（3起）导致了真正的假感染聚集或真正感染的人为聚集。标本处理错误包括采集或运输过程中的污染、实验室中的交叉污染以及生物体的错误鉴定。预防假流行事件取决于旨在避免此类错误的质量控制，以及实验室工作人员与临床医生之间的密切合作，以确保对不一致的实验室结果进行系统审查。
