Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, Ore., has seen a perplexing increase in its number of central line-associated bloodstream infections, and clinicians are working to find the reason why, reports The Oregonian.
Between April and August of 2014, the hospital recorded no CLABSIs. But from September to March, the hospital has seen nearly a five-fold increase in the infections compared to the same time period the year prior.
Windy Stevenson, MD, Doernbecher's chief quality officer, told The Oregonian, "We have examined every detail of every infection both individually and collectively."
The hospital has ruled out central line placement as a problem, and is now focusing on central line maintenance. New caps for the central lines have been brought in, signs are posted reminding staff about the infection reduction effort, managers huddle weekly to discuss the infections and administrators conduct weekly rounds to speak with and listen to front-line staff.
"This has my full attention," Dana Braner, MD, the hospital's physician-in-chief, told The Oregonian. "These children tend to be the sickest and most complex children that a children's hospital deals with."