The results are from an ongoing national pediatric quality improvement program launched in 2006 and spearheaded by the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions. The steps for the quality improvement program include daily assessment of the need for the central line, regularly changing the dressing covering the device, cleaning the line before and after use and hand washing before handling the line.
Comparing current infection rates with infection rates before the program’s 2006 launch, experts estimate that the initiative has so far prevented 2,964 central line infections, saved 355 children’s lives and saved nearly $104 million that would have gone toward treating complications stemming from invasive blood-stream infections. Experts estimate each infection carries a price tag of up to $45,000.
Related Articles on Central Line Infections:
Central Line Infections, MRSA Rates Drop Among Tennessee Hospitals
Michigan Checklist Program Saved Hospitals $1.1M Annually
Report: 114 Healthcare-Associated Infections Occurred in New Hampshire Hospitals in 2010
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