Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infection

Central venous catheters are being used more frequently to administer medication to inpatients and for long-term care for outpatients. To prevent or reduce the risk of infection from placing and maintaining these lines, national standards such as those developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement have been developed and are used by Inland Hospital.

These best practices are the standards in place at Inland Hospital: Cleansing hands before putting on gloves, wearing a sterile gown, wearing a mask, wearing sterile gloves, wearing a cap, using a large sterile sheet that covers the patient head to toe, using a disinfecting swab on the skin, and using the large vein near the collar bone whenever possible. We also require that there be daily documentation that the line is clinically necessary.

Infection Prevention and Control

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are the most common complication of hospital care. When they occur, they can have a profound negative effect on patient outcomes, such as increased illness, increased length of stay, and even death. Studies have shown that relatively simple steps focusing on specific areas such as: hand hygiene, influenza vaccination, central venous catheter related infections and ventilator-associated infections can reduce these infections. Inland Hospital is committed to eliminating these preventable infections and reports its efforts on those measures here.

Ventilator-associated infections

The ventilator is a machine that is used to help a patient breathe by giving oxygen through a tube placed in a patient’s mouth or nose, or through a hole in the front of the neck. Patients who are on a ventilator have a higher risk of pneumonia, an infection of the lung.