Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection

Health care-associated infections, or HAIs, related to the use of medical devices are more likely to be antibiotic resistant than those resulting from surgical procedures, with antimicrobial nonsusceptibility more common among adults than children, according to data from the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network.

Findings from a systemic review showed a consistent underestimation of the incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infections, or CLABSIs, within publicly reported rates, “weakening the validity and reliability of surveillance measures,” researchers wrote.

Accounting for the presence of multiple, concurrent central lines when calculating central line-associated bloodstream infections, or CLABSIs, lowered CLABSI rates by 25% over the course of 18 months in the ICUs at two hospitals, researchers reported in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.