Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections

An estimated 248,000 bloodstream infections occur in U.S. hospitals each year, according to a 2007 study. A large proportion of these infections are associated with the presence of a central vascular catheter. For the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), such infections are called central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI). Bloodstream infections are usually serious and typically increase the length of hospital stays, costs and mortality risks.

Many CLABSI's can be prevented through proper management of the central line. These techniques are addressed in the CDC’s Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (CDC/HIPAC) guidelines for preventing CLABSIs located here.

Join the effort to prevent CLABSIs in Missouri by contacting one of our program managers today:

Primaris has free quality improvement resources for this topic.

	Publications > Clinical Education IHI how-to guide to prevent bloodstream infections This 45-page guide from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement provides strategies for preventing BSI in the hospital setting. Download here | Note: link leads to the IHI Web site.
	Resource Materials > Clinical Education CDC's Central Line Insertion Practices (CLIP) Adherence Monitoring Training This training session -- complete with a video presentation and supplemental materials -- is designed for those who will collect and analyze Central Line Insertion Practices (CLIP) data in the Patient Safety Component of the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). Access here | Note: Link leads to the CDC Web site.
	Publications > Clinical Education Healthcare-associated infections Toolkit for caregivers Released to Primaris from the Oklahoma QIO, this comprehensive toolkit helps providers improve the healthcare environment to reduce or eliminate HAIs. ofmc_hai_toolkit.pdf
	Publications > Clinical Education Central Line Bloodstream Infection prevention surveillance guide, from the CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network This 10-page survellience protocol is designed to assist hospital providers in monitoring, recording (and ultimately, preventing) Central Line Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI) in their patients. From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Download here. (Editor's note: Link goes to CDC Web site)
	Resource Materials > Physician References CDC Guidelines for the prevention of intravascular catheter-related infections Intended to provide evidence-based recommendations for preventing intravascular catheter-related infections, these guidelines were released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2011. Download here | Note: Link leads to the CDC Web site
	Publications > Physician References On the CUSP: Stop BSI Released by Johns Hopkins University in 2008, this toolkit remains a relevant source of information to eliminate bloodstream infections in the hospital environment. Download here | Note: link leads to the Web site of the Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality