Team-Based Prevention of Catheter-Related Infections

Abstract

Each year, 36 million patients are admitted to acute care hospitals in the United States, staying for 164 million days.¹ Eleven percent (18 million days) of these hospitalizations are spent in intensive care units (ICUs). For 54% of the days (9.7 million) that patients are in ICUs, central venous catheters remain in place for the infusion of medications and fluids. Regrettably, the use of these devices results in 48,600 associated bloodstream infections (5 per 1000 catheter-days).² The leading pathogens, in descending order, are coagulase-negative staphylococci, Staphylococcus aureus, enterococcus species, and candida species. Morbidity is significant with bloodstream infections. At least . . .