Preventing Central Line Blood Stream Infections
Preventing Central Line Blood Stream Infections
4010 Scholarly Paper
LeTanya V. Cintron
Huron School of Nursing
09/29/2010
There are a variety of intravascular devices used for vascular access and they are becoming more common in today’s healthcare system, mainly due to their convenience. Whether it’s a short-term triple lumen central venous catheter or an arterial catheter for hemodynamic monitoring or long term venous access for inpatient or outpatient use for fluids, TPN, chemo, home antibiotics or hemodyalisis; central venous catheters are here to stay. Their convenience and ease of access makes them almost a necessity in patient care, but at what cost? Regardless of their purpose and ease of use, it is up to us as nurses and healthcare workers to recognize when patients are at risks for infection due to venous catheter use. In this paper, I will identify guidelines to prevent blood infections from central lines.
The Joint Commission has identified the prevention of central line-associated bloodstream infections as one of its safety goals. They hold importance to educating all staff and workers that are involved in managing and caring for central lines. They emphasize in infection prevention. Patient and family education is also key; especially for individuals with long term lines at home. The Joint Commission also promotes the use of a catheter checklist and a standardized protocol for central venous catheter insertion with emphasis on hand hygiene prior to catheter insertion or manipulation, use of a central line bundle, and the “use [of] a standardized protocol for sterile barrier precautions during central venous catheter insertion” (TJC, 2009). A peer reviewed article written by Maki, Kluger and Crnich, shows that higher blood stream infection rates for intra vascular devices used 100 days or less were found in surgically implanted cuffed and tunneled all-purpose CVCs, and cuffed and tunneled hemodialysis catheters
4010 Scholarly Paper
LeTanya V. Cintron
Huron School of Nursing
09/29/2010
There are a variety of intravascular devices used for vascular access and they are becoming more common in today’s healthcare system, mainly due to their convenience. Whether it’s a short-term triple lumen central venous catheter or an arterial catheter for hemodynamic monitoring or long term venous access for inpatient or outpatient use for fluids, TPN, chemo, home antibiotics or hemodyalisis; central venous catheters are here to stay. Their convenience and ease of access makes them almost a necessity in patient care, but at what cost? Regardless of their purpose and ease of use, it is up to us as nurses and healthcare workers to recognize when patients are at risks for infection due to venous catheter use. In this paper, I will identify guidelines to prevent blood infections from central lines.
The Joint Commission has identified the prevention of central line-associated bloodstream infections as one of its safety goals. They hold importance to educating all staff and workers that are involved in managing and caring for central lines. They emphasize in infection prevention. Patient and family education is also key; especially for individuals with long term lines at home. The Joint Commission also promotes the use of a catheter checklist and a standardized protocol for central venous catheter insertion with emphasis on hand hygiene prior to catheter insertion or manipulation, use of a central line bundle, and the “use [of] a standardized protocol for sterile barrier precautions during central venous catheter insertion” (TJC, 2009). A peer reviewed article written by Maki, Kluger and Crnich, shows that higher blood stream infection rates for intra vascular devices used 100 days or less were found in surgically implanted cuffed and tunneled all-purpose CVCs, and cuffed and tunneled hemodialysis catheters
References: American Association of Critical Nurses. (9/2005). AACN practice alert: Preventing catheter related blood stream infections Brungs, S.M., & Render, M.L.. (2005). Using evidenced-based practice to reduce central line infections Hadaway, L.C.. (2006). Keeping central line infection at bay. Nursing 2006, 36(4), 58-64. Haller, L.T., & Rush, K.L.. (1992). Central line infection: a review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 1, 61-66. Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2008). Prevention of central line-associated bloodstream infection Maki, D.G., Kluger, D.M., & Crnich, C.J.. (2006). The risk of bloodstream infection in adults with different intravascular devices: A systemic review of 200 published studies Nursing theorists: A companion to nursing theories and models. (2010). Retrieved from http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/nursing_theorists.html The Joint Commission. (2009). Accreditation program: Hospital national patient safety goals.