The effectiveness of a nurse-initiated intervention to reduce catheter-associated bloodstream infections in an urban acute hospital: An intervention study with before and after comparison

Background Catheter care is considered to be important for prevention of catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CABSIs) although epidemiological evidence is sparse. Objectives To identify problems associated with catheter care and evaluate the effectiveness of nurse-initiated interventions to reduce CABSIs. Design An intervention study with before and after comparison. Settings CABSI surveillance was conducted in a 560-bed acute hospital located in a major urban area in Japan. Participants Patients were enrolled in this study from April 2000 to December 2002 based on the following criteria: (1) adult inpatients; and (2) those in whom central venous lines or Swan-Ganz catheters were inserted for 2 days or longer. Methods In the first year, risk factors for CABSI and problems associated with catheter care were identified by inspection of the infection control nurse (ICN) or four trained link nurses, and the laboratory results. In the subsequent 2 years, the following interventions based on the surveillance results were implemented: (1) enhanced skin preparation by scrubbing with regular bathing soap and tap water; (2) a new method for stabilisation of the catheter inserted into the internal jugular vein, where additional dressing was placed over the sterilised dressing; (3) educating the staff on maximal sterile precautions by teaching staff members at their section meetings and displaying posters; (4) use of a check list and observation of catheter insertion by link nurses to monitor compliance; and (5) selection of a disinfectant that requires shorter contact time and has longer residual effect. Results After these interventions were implemented, the overall bloodstream infection (BSI) rate declined from 4.0/1000 device-days to 1.1/1000 device-days (p<0.005). Conclusions We identified four problems—those related to skin preparation, dressing, sterile precautions and disinfectant. We implemented a series of interventions to reduce CABSIs; the overall CABSI rate decreased significantly.