Preventing central line-associated bloodstream infections is among the top quality improvement initiatives under way at hospitals across California. Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are one of the most deadly types of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
February 19, 2013Fierce HealthcareFebruary 12, 2013
Hospitals are showing promising results in reducing healthcare-associated infections, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CLABSIs occur when bacteria or other germs enter a catheter used to administer medications and other fluids directly into the bloodstream. An estimated 250,000 to 500,000 CLABSIs occur in hospitals nationwide each year. California is one of 28 states that require public reporting of HAIs, including CLABSIs.
Hospital-related infections like sepsis are important to catch early. That’s why San Diego hospitals are involved in a statewide initiative to prevent these infections. KPBS Health Reporter Kenny Goldberg takes a look at what one San Diego hospital is doing to protect patients.
The goal: Cut costs and save lives by preventing hospital-related infections from taking root. ‘We’re definitely making progress,’ says a doctor in Newport Beach.
February 8, 2011California HealthCare Foundation Center for Health Reporting
City of Hope is an outlier in the world of hospital infections. Its physicians perform 500 bone marrow transplants a year, a third of all such transplants in California.
Its infection totals are higher than at most because its patients are so vulnerable, and the staff must be extra vigilant in diagnosing and recording infections.
With more than 140 central lines in place on any given day, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles has virtually eliminated central line-associated blood stream infections from multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO), while dramatically reducing other CLABSIs throughout the hospital.
Many hospital systems bring their employees and medical staffs together to implement quality of care improvement projects. One such example is Adventist Health based in Roseville. In 2007, 10 of the system’s hospitals joined with 36 facilities that are part of Adventist Health System, based in Florida, with the goal of eliminating CLABSIs. The hospitals partnered with a team of researchers from Johns Hopkins University.
