• Amy Martino, Leanna Thompson, Colleen Mitchell, Rachel Trichel, William Chappell, Justin Miller, David Allen, and Elizabeth Mann-Salinas.
• US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Army Burn Center, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX, United States.
• Burns. 2017 Aug 1; 43 (5): 956-964.

BackgroundBurn patients are an especially high-risk population for development of central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) due to open wounds, extended length of intensive care unit stay, frequent use of central venous catheters, and generally immunocompromised state. Implementing evidence-based practices to prevent these infections is a 2014 National Patient Safety Goal per The Joint Commission.ObjectivesThe purpose of this project was introduction of a commercially available alcohol impregnated central venous line port protector to reduce the incidence of CLABSI in the burn unit.MethodsThe Iowa Model for Implementing Evidenced-Based Practice was used to guide this intervention conducted by the Unit Practice Council. A pre- and post-intervention design compared rates of CLABSI before and after introduction of the port protectors.ResultsCLABSI infection rates decreased following the intervention from baseline of 7.3 per 1000 line days to an average of 3.04 per 1000 line days during calendar year 2013.ConclusionsIntroduction of an alcohol impregnated central venous line port protector can reduce the incidence of CLABSI in a burn unit.Published by Elsevier Ltd.

25 keywords...

hide…