Data collection

1. Isolate collection and information

   
   When a participating laboratory has identified a case, the laboratory submits the corresponding isolate or specimen, along with a standard GERMS-SA laboratory form, to the relative unit at the NICD, Johannesburg. Standard GERMS-SA laboratory forms contain basic demographic data of the case which help us to accurately understand the epidemiology of these diseases in South Africa. The basic demographic data includes the following fields: gender, date of birth, age, date of specimen collection, specimen type, date of admission and place of presentation (laboratory, hospital, town and province).




2. Enhanced surveillance clinical information

   
   The GERMS-SA has enhanced surveillance at sentinel sites in all 9 provinces of South Africa. The surveillance officers at these sites obtain additional clinical information from defined cases of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenza, Salmonella species, Cryptococcus species, and Pneumocystis jirovecii.
   Surveillance officers conduct an interview with the patient, capturing relevant data on to a case report form. If the patient has been discharged or has died the surveillance officer performs a medical record review or consults the attending clinician to obtain the required information for the case report form. The case report form includes additional information on antimicrobial use, patient outcome, vaccination data, HIV status and previous hospital admissions.