The enclosed manuscript is sent to you for review. Please complete and return by fax or mail the attached forms within two weeks of receipt. Return only the completed manuscript review forms and manuscript pages on which you have written comments. It is not necessary to return the original manuscript, but please assure that it is destroyed in a confidential manner.

Two reviewer forms are enclosed. The first form is provided for you to outline your evaluation and to summarize your analysis and views regarding the paper's acceptability for publication, and for any additional comments you may wish to make to the Editors in confidentiality. We ask that you sign your name on this sheet, but your identity will not be revealed to the author. We also ask that you indicate any ties you may have to the work described in the paper, whether financial ties to a product being tested, participation in a study the paper is reporting, personal or professional knowledge, or assistance to the author. This acknowledgment should not preclude your review of the paper, but rather serves as a balance to our request that authors provide financial disclosure and potential conflicts of interest. The Second form is provided for your specific comments to the author of the paper, and serves as a support for the manuscript's disposition as conferred by the editors, and as a tool for the author's possible revision of the paper. Because copies of this anonymous comment sheet are forwarded directly to authors and other reviewers of the paper, comments should be typed or printed clearly.

The following criteria are to assist you in evaluating manuscripts. In addition to your specific comments as to content, relevance and methodology, your notes in the review as to accuracy of terminology, adequacy of table or figure headings and spelling of scientific names are appreciated.

1.  APPROPRIATENESS: AJIC is devoted to the application of epidemiologic and other scientific methods to improve health care and health care delivery. Articles concerning infection control issues, outbreaks, quality improvement methods and clinical trials of ways to improve the health of patients and care givers are especially welcome.

2.  ORIGINALITY: Are the findings new? If not, do they supplement prior studies and add needed information, or does the manuscript raise questions about the findings of prior studies?

3.  IMPORTANCE: Do the findings make a contribution in the area under investigation?

4.  DOCUMENTATION OF CONCLUSIONS: Was the study well designed and are the interpretations logical and balanced? Are the statistical methods appropriate and interpreted correctly?

5.  PRESENTATION OF DATA: Are the tables and figures well designed; are they unnecessarily detailed; do figures duplicate tables; can any be omitted? Is the text easy to follow; is it too long; could any section be shortened? Is the statistical methodology adequately presented?

6.  ADEQUACY OF REFERENCES: Are statements from other articles or books referenced? The Editors are grateful for your pointing out unsupported statements or supplying additional pertinent references that may come to mind during your review.

Although final decisions about acceptance are made by the Editors, the reviewers' recommendations are strongly considered. Depending on your comments and the author's response, we may ask that you review subsequent revisions of the paper. Thank you for your contribution to the American Journal of Infection Control. If you have questions about the enclosed manuscript or the review process, please call the Editorial Office.