Action Plan May Reduce CLABSIs in Hospitalized Patients With Cancer

Despite being preventable, central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) result in thousands of deaths each year and cost the U.S. healthcare system billions of dollars. Infection is a common problem in patients with cancer, particularly those receiving chemotherapy and radiation. At one hospital, the medical oncology inpatient unit had a quarterly standardized infection ratio (SIR) above 1.0 for six quarters in 2015 and 2016 (SIRs higher than 1.0 reflect more infections than anticipated). The CLABSI rate on the medical oncology unit was among the highest in the hospital (2.31) when researchers initiated an intervention to reduce the SIR rate. They found that increasing awareness of CLABSI prevention and ensuring that equipment was available, stocked, and being used correctly significantly reduced the number of infections. Glenda L. Kaminski, PhD, CNS, AOCN®, CRNI, presented the results in “Reducing Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections in Patients With Cancer” as part of the e-poster sessions on November 2 and 3 during the 2018 JADPRO Live conference in Hollywood, FL.