CLABSI Conversations: Lessons From Peer-to-Peer Assessments to Reduce Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections

Qual Manag Health Care. 2016 Apr-Jun;25(2):67-78. doi: 10.1097/QMH.0000000000000091.

Abstract

A national collaborative helped many hospitals dramatically reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), but some hospitals struggled to reduce infection rates. This article describes the development of a peer-to-peer assessment process (CLABSI Conversations) and the practical, actionable practices we discovered that helped intensive care unit teams achieve a CLABSI rate of less than 1 infection per 1000 catheter-days for at least 1 year. CLABSI Conversations was designed as a learning-oriented process, in which a team of peers visited hospitals to surface barriers to infection prevention and to share best practices and insights from successful intensive care units. Common practices led to 10 recommendations: executive and board leaders communicate the goal of zero CLABSI throughout the hospital; senior and unit-level leaders hold themselves accountable for CLABSI rates; unit physicians and nurse leaders own the problem; clinical leaders and infection preventionists build infection prevention training and simulation programs; infection preventionists participate in unit-based CLABSI reduction efforts; hospital managers make compliance with best practices easy; clinical leaders standardize the hospital's catheter insertion and maintenance practices and empower nurses to stop any potentially harmful acts; unit leaders and infection preventionists investigate CLABSIs to identify root causes; and unit nurses and staff audit catheter maintenance policies and practices.

MeSH terms

  • Catheter-Related Infections / prevention & control*
  • Clinical Protocols
  • Communication
  • Cross Infection / prevention & control*
  • Humans
  • Infection Control / organization & administration*
  • Inservice Training / organization & administration
  • Intensive Care Units / organization & administration*
  • Leadership
  • Program Evaluation