Results Prove Dangerous Infections Reduced at CentraState Medical Center

Infection prevention and control is a growing health concern nationwide, and at CentraState Medical Center, it’s an ongoing, multidisciplinary effort that involves the coordination of highly-trained physicians, nurses, staff and resources in the departments of infection control, quality, the microbiology laboratory and implementation of effective practices.

Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) is one type of healthcare-associated infection (HAI), and typically causes a longer hospital stay and increased cost. This blood infection is contracted in a healthcare environment within a 48-hour period after a central line has been placed in a patient. A central line is a common but indispensable device inserted directly into a large vein to draw blood or allow for safe and effective delivery of medications or fluids.  These bloodstream infections can affect patients receiving treatment for another health care condition. Patients who develop CLABSIs, who often are treated in hospital intensive care units (ICUs), take longer to recover and are at increased risk of death.

CentraState Medical Center reduced CLABSIs by implementing a patient safety project called the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP). CUSP, first developed by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, MD, is a science-based approach that uses the latest evidence to improve the way clinical teams care for patients. It was funded by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and spread nationwide through the leadership of the Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) of the American Hospital Association (AHA).

The national project that implemented CUSP involved hospital teams at more than 1,100 adult ICUs in 44 states over a 4-year period.  Preliminary findings indicate that hospitals participating in this project reduced the rate of CLABSIs nationally from 1.903 infections per 1,000 central line days to 1.137 infections per 1,000 line days, an overall reduction of 40 percent. As a result, more than 2,000 CLABSIs were prevented, more than 500 lives were saved, and more than $34 million in health care costs were avoided.