title: CE: Champions for central line care.
abstract: In 2012, acute care hospitals in the United States reported 30,100 central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) to the National Healthcare Safety Network of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Known to substantially increase morbidity, length of stay, and cost of care, CLABSIs are associated with a mortality rate of 12% to 25% and an additional cost of $22,885 to $29,330 per incident. Following five months with a sustained CLABSI rate of zero per 1,000 catheter days, the acuity adaptable critical care unit at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania, saw the CLABSI rate spike to 3.97 per 1,000 catheter days in March 2011, prompting a quality improvement project and, ultimately, the implementation within the unit of a champion team program to guide central line care.
authors.affiliation: Seth M. Reed is a student in the nurse anesthesia program at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Nursing in Philadelphia. At the time this project was completed, he was a nurse in the acuity adaptable critical care unit (AACCU) at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA. Alexandra J. Brock is a clinical nurse specialist, and Tyler J. Anderson is a nurse, both in the AACCU at Geisinger Medical Center. Contact author: Seth M. Reed, sethreed@nursing.upenn.edu. The authors and planners have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
authors.forename: Seth M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Alexandra J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Brock
authors.forename: Tyler J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D055499:Catheter-Related Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000451:nursing*; D055318:Evidence-Based Nursing; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000592:standards*; D007318:Inservice Training; D024802:Nurse's Role; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology