Reduction of hospital-acquired infections in the neonatal intensive care unit: A long-term commitment

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality improvement
• Infection control
• Patient safety

Background:

• Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are a significant cause of hospital-acquired infections.
• Effective infection control strategies are crucial for reducing patient morbidity and mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a quality improvement program on CLABSI rates.
• To identify key interventions contributing to infection reduction.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a quality improvement program focused on infection control.
• Comparison of CLABSI rates before (2011-2012) and after (2013-2015) the program.
• Monitoring of hand hygiene compliance and catheter dwell time.

Main Results:

• CLABSI episodes decreased significantly from 15.2 to 2.29 per 1000 catheter days (P=.004).
• Hand hygiene compliance, particularly before aseptic tasks, increased from 69.9% to 89.9%.
• Mean catheter dwell time decreased from 5.4 ± 4.5 days to 4.4 ± 2.5 days (P=.001).

Conclusions:

• The quality improvement program was effective in reducing CLABSIs.
• Enhanced hand hygiene and reduced catheter duration are key drivers of this success.
• These findings underscore the importance of targeted interventions in preventing healthcare-associated infections.