University Hospital Zurich
Raemistrasse 100 Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland)
German Hospital Service
Destouchesstr. 1 Munchen, Bayern (Germany)
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust
162 City Road London, Greater London (UK)
Flinders Medical Centre
Flinders Drive, Bedford Park South Australia (Australia)
Canterbury clinicians work to reduce central line infections
Canterbury clinicians at Christchurch Hospitals Intensive Care Unit ICU lead the country in reducing hospitalacquired blood infections
The hospitals ICU has just reached an important landmark as part of its participation in the national collaboration to prevent central line associated bacteraemia CLAB
Dr Dave Knight Intensive Care Specialist says its been more than 100 days since the units last CLAB
This is great news for a project that represents a successful example of how a motivated coordinated multidisciplinary team can deliver tangible improvements to the health of Cantabrians
About 50 percent of patients admitted to ICU will require a central venous catheter a bloodstream catheter that is put into a large vein and last year about 43 critically ill patients developed CLAB while in ICUs across the country
Once established a CLAB carries a 1050 percent mortality rate and adds between 20000 to 50000 to hospital costs
International studies have demonstrated that many of these infections are preventable and so CLAB is one of the three key National Infection Prevention Control measures targeted by the Health Safety Quality Commission HSQC and DHBs
The CLAB prevention project is the first example of a national quality improvement collaboration between all the ICUs in New Zealand Christchurch ICU is providing the lead for the South Island and already has a well established programme despite the project only being launched in October 2011
The measurement and prevention of central line associated bacteraemia CLAB has become one of the major quality targets for the critical care community The end result will be safer patient care shorter stays in ICU and reduced cost which can be spent on healthcare improvements Dr Knight says
Caption David Knight Christchurch Hospital Intensive Care Unit Specialist preparing to put a central venous catheter a bloodstream catheter into a large vein in the neck of a patient
Date : 05 Apr, 2012
Reference : http://www.voxy.co.nz/health/canterbury-clinicians-work-reduce-central-line-infections/5/119937