St. Luke’s East Hospital: Eliminating Unnecessary Central Lines Reduces CLABSI

The advantages of a central line are obvious when a patient needs drugs given through their veins over a long period of time, or for kidney dialysis. In these cases, a central line is easier and less painful than having needles inserted in the patient’s veins each time they need therapy.

But it was determining the necessity of a central line on a daily basis that proved most effective for Saint Luke's East Hospital in cutting its rate for central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) by more than half.

The process was straightforward. The 238-bed hospital, located in Lee’s Summit, Mo., instituted a multidisciplinary daily review of all central lines in use to determine if any given line was eligible to be removed.

A daily report on lines was generated, which unit leaders then took to the nursing team to discuss with providers. Each day, unit leaders filled out the daily report with the indications for keeping in any lines.

The process has reduced CLABSI at St. Luke’s East from 12 in 2021 to five in 2022. Like other hospitals and health systems that have reduced health care-associated infections, the St. Luke’s East team cites strong support from leadership to reduce patient harm as a critical reason for their success.