Central-line associated bloodstream infections and catheter-associated urinary tract infections are two of the major hospital-acquired conditions hospitals can be punished for through the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program. The program, set up by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, lowers the Medicare payments of hospitals that have high rates of these infections.
CMS recently announced that more than 700 hospitals will see their Medicare payments reduced in fiscal year 2015 as a result of the program.
Listed below are five recent stories on CLABSIs and CAUTIs statistics, success stories and strategies.
1. Nurses reduce infections in 7 NY hospitals
Critical care nurses developed initiatives that reduced healthcare-associated infections, including CLABSIs and CAUTIs, as part of their participation in a nurse leadership training program.
2. Patient safety tool: How to treat severe infections in the ICU
BMC Infectious Diseases released a new series, "How to treat severe infections in the ICU," which includes reviews on everything from diagnostics to treating CLABSIs.
3. Evidence-based strategies for elimination of CLABSIs
Bloodstream infections are a major cause of healthcare-associated mortality and morbidity and can be reduced by using the listed strategies and guidelines.
4. Experimental CAUTI vaccine demonstrates positive early test results
The experimental vaccine, developed by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, demonstrated positive initial results when tested in mice.
5. EHR alerts reduce unnecessary urinary catheters, CAUTI rates
Implementing targeted electronic alerts in EHRs may significantly reduce the occurrence of CAUTIs.