Hospital-Acquired Infections May Be Lower in Closed ICUs

Three hospital-acquired infections rates appear to be lower in patients admitted to a “closed” intensive care unit, meaning that the ICU team has primary responsibility for the patient, rather than a primary care physician, according to research presented at ATS 2019. Central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) and ventilator-acquired pneumonia (VAP) were lower after a medical center transitioned from an open to a closed ICU, while methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile (C. Diff) rates remained the same.