Case Studies
Reducing CLABSI in Children
Involving everyone from front-line staff to executive committees to home health agencies to patients' families, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta significantly reduced infections among its pediatric patients. The campaign started at the 529-bed health care organization in 2006 with the goal to reduce system-wide and unit-level central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) and to increase hand hygiene compliance. The vascular access, performance improvement and infection prevention teams were first enlisted to develop solutions. Then a task force was formed to engage front-line staff and encourage adoption of evidence-based CLABSI prevention bundles and practices. The infection prevention and quality teams helped create tools for monitoring and analyzing data and developing a BSI huddle that improved communication among staff. Another key part of the infection-prevention initiative was a “Foam Up” campaign to improve hand hygiene. As a result of this multidisciplinary approach that emphasized standardization and education, CLABSI rates were reduced by 76 percent in five years, which represents 816 avoided CLABSIs and more than $37 million in avoided costs. Hand hygiene rates increased from 35% to 98.3%.
Involving everyone from front-line staff to executive committees to home health agencies to patients' families, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta significantly reduced infections among its pediatric patients. The campaign started at the 529-bed health care organization in 2006 with the goal to reduce system-wide and unit-level central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) and to increase hand hygiene compliance. The vascular access, performance improvement and infection prevention teams were first enlisted to develop solutions. Then a task force was formed to engage front-line staff and encourage adoption of evidence-based CLABSI prevention bundles and practices. The infection prevention and quality teams helped create tools for monitoring and analyzing data and developing a BSI huddle that improved communication among staff. Another key part of the infection-prevention initiative was a “Foam Up” campaign to improve hand hygiene. As a result of this multidisciplinary approach that emphasized standardization and education, CLABSI rates were reduced by 76 percent in five years, which represents 816 avoided CLABSIs and more than $37 million in avoided costs. Hand hygiene rates increased from 35% to 98.3%.
For more information, contact Brant Rawls, public relations, at Brant.Rawls@choa.org, or read the case study.