Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI)

CLABSI Prevention Efforts Result in Up to 200,000 Infections Prevented in ICUs Nationwide

New research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as 200,000 central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) have been prevented among patients in intensive care units (ICUs) since 1990. The study, published in the June ...More
2 weeks ago
Posted in News
CRBSI Rates May Be Biased by Differences of Blood Culture Sampling and CRBSI Definition

Catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) surveillance serves as a quality improvement measure that is often used to assess performance. Cherifi, et al. (2013) reviewed the total number of microbiological samples collected in three Belgian intensive care units (ICU) in ...More
2 weeks ago
Posted in News
SHEA Announces EPI Project Winner

The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) announces the winner of the second annual EPI Project Competition. This young investigator award was presented to Clare Rock, MD, an infectious diseases fellow at the University of Maryland, for her proposal seeking ...More
3 weeks ago
Posted in News
New Wisconsin HAI Report Shows Improvements in 2012

The Wisconsin Division of Public Health’s annual Healthcare-Associated Infections Prevention Program report shows more healthcare facilities in the state met or exceeded the national standard for many infection rates in 2012. CLABSI SIR among reporting facilities was 0.44, ...More
3 weeks ago
Posted in News
Device-Related Infections: A Tale of Two Hospitals Setting Example for HAI Reduction, Prevention

We share the success stories of two hospitals that are driving down device-related infection rates and upholding high levels of patient safety within their institutions. ...More
April 8, 2013
Posted in Articles, Policies and Practice
CDC Offers NHSN Validation Guidance for CLABSIs in ICUs

Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Validation Guidance and Toolkit for Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection (CLABSI) in ICUs. This toolkit is designed for infection preventionists and ...More
March 15, 2013
Posted in News, Policies and Practice
Midline Catheters: An Essential Tool in CLABSI Reduction

The confluence of recent economic factors and emerging clinical evidence now makes the use of central venous access devices (CVADs) far less desirable than in the past. Conversely, the same factors and facts greatly enhance the appeal of midline catheters—catheters ...More
March 15, 2013
Posted in Articles
Despite Decline in HAIs Consumers Union Says More Effort Needed to Protect Patients

A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the number of central line-associated bloodstream infections in hospitals nationwide has been reduced markedly. More modest reductions have been achieved in certain surgical site infections and ...More
February 12, 2013
Posted in News, Hand Hygiene
Hospitals Report Reductions in Some Types of HAIs

Hospitals in the U.S. continue to make progress in the fight against central line-associated bloodstream infections and some surgical site infections, according to a report issued today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Catheter-associated urinary ...More
February 11, 2013
Posted in News, Hand Hygiene
NICUs in Nine States See Sharp Drop in Bloodstream Infections

Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) in newborns were reduced by 58 percent in less than a year in hospital neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) participating in an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality patient safety program. Frontline caregivers ...More
January 25, 2013
Posted in News, PPE & Standard Precautions