HICPAC Rankings

Recommendations are categorized according to the following designations:

Category IA: Strongly recommended for implementation and strongly supported by well-designed experimental, clinical, or epidemiological studies.

Category IB: Strongly recommended for implementation and supported by some experimental, clinical, or epidemiological studies and a strong theoretical rationale.

Category IC: Required by state or federal regulations, rules, or standards.

(The acronym of the promulgating federal agency is listed in parentheses when the statement is derived from a regulation. When a statement refers to regulation at the state level, the word "states" appears in parentheses.)

Category II: Suggested for implementation and supported by suggestive clinical or epidemiological studies or a theoretical rationale.

No recommendation: Unresolved issue. Practices for which insufficient evidence or no consensus regarding efficacy exists.