A central line insertion checklist helped two community hospital's intensive care units reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections by 86 percent, according to research published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
Researchers from two Maryland hospitals (Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air and Harford Memorial Hospital in Havre de Grace) developed a central line insertion checklist based on published best practices. The checklist consisted of hand washing, use of protective gear such as caps, masks and sterile gowns, full-body sterile drapes and site disinfection with 2 percent chlorhexidine solution for central venous catheter insertions. The checklist also included specific criteria for antibiotic impregnated catheters and when catheters should be removed or replaced.
After implementing the central line insertion checklist, both hospitals experienced a dramatic reduction in CLASIs in their ICUs and non-ICU settings by 86 percent and 57 percent, respectively.
Read the study about central line insertion checklists.
Related Articles About Bloodstream Infections:
Study: Minimally Invasive Surgeries Reduce Hospital-Acquired Infections
Infection Control Programs Keep ICUs CLABSI-Free for Up to 2 Years
Rhode Island Hospital: Peripheral Venous Catheters May Pose Infection Risk
Researchers from two Maryland hospitals (Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air and Harford Memorial Hospital in Havre de Grace) developed a central line insertion checklist based on published best practices. The checklist consisted of hand washing, use of protective gear such as caps, masks and sterile gowns, full-body sterile drapes and site disinfection with 2 percent chlorhexidine solution for central venous catheter insertions. The checklist also included specific criteria for antibiotic impregnated catheters and when catheters should be removed or replaced.
After implementing the central line insertion checklist, both hospitals experienced a dramatic reduction in CLASIs in their ICUs and non-ICU settings by 86 percent and 57 percent, respectively.
Read the study about central line insertion checklists.
Related Articles About Bloodstream Infections:
Study: Minimally Invasive Surgeries Reduce Hospital-Acquired Infections
Infection Control Programs Keep ICUs CLABSI-Free for Up to 2 Years
Rhode Island Hospital: Peripheral Venous Catheters May Pose Infection Risk
