ICU Central Line Infection Prevention

Central Line Blood Stream Infections in the Intensive Care Units (Adults Only) at HealthONE Hospitals in Denver, Colorado

Our Goal: 0.0 central line blood stream infections for every 1,000 days that the central lines are in place.

Timeframe: October 2010 through December 2010
(Most Recent Data Available)

What Does This Measure?

The number of blood infections acquired from a central line that used to take blood and give medications while a patient is in the ICU at any of the HealthONE hospitals.

Why is this important?

Central lines can irritate the skin and sometimes cause bacteria infections that can spread to the bloodstream. These are called a "catheter-related bloodstream infections," and they are quite serious.

What are We Doing to Improve?

Intensive care units have vastly reduced bloodstream infections through a program we call Aim for Zero. As its name indicates, we strive to have zero bloodstream infections in our intensive care units. We do this by following simple guidelines such as:

• Wearing sterile masks, gloves & gowns
• Washing hands
• Cleaning the patient’s skin with antiseptic before inserting a catheter
• Checking the catheter daily
• Carefully handling all medications and fluids that are given through the catheter