Penn Medicine's flagship hospital noted zero central line-associated bloodstream infections in fiscal years 2022 and 2023, according to a study published Aug. 1 in Critical Care Nurse.
In fiscal year 2018, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania began caring for a new population of patients with pulmonary artery catheters. Compared with fiscal year 2017, the number of catheter days increased from 1,544 to 2,688, and the CLABSI rate jumped from 0.65 to 1.86.
The Philadelphia-based hospital adopted "standard, evidence-based CLABSI bundles," the study said, but infection rates barely budged. In fiscal year 2019, a nurse-led initiative introduced central catheter rounds three times a week — and zero CLABSIs occurred.
The rounds focused on "critically assessing all central catheter dressings; determining the necessity of each patient's central catheter; and educating patients on the importance of keeping their central catheter dressings clean, dry and intact," according to the study.
With the bundles and central catheter rounds, the hospital's CLABSI rate dropped from 1.86 to 0.0 between July 2019 and June 2022. The absence of CLABSIs continued throughout fiscal year 2023.
The two infection prevention practices have become the standard of care throughout the hospital, according to a news release from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.