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Credit: Rhoda Baer
An analysis of US intensive care units (ICUs) shows uneven compliance with policies for preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
The survey of more than 1500 ICUs showed that a majority of hospitals had prevention policies in place for central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). But adherence to these policies ranged from 37% to 71%.
And both the prevalence of and adherence to policies was even lower for 2 other common HAIs.
Patricia W. Stone PhD, of the Columbia University School of Nursing in New York, and her colleagues shared these results in the American Journal of Infection Control.
The researchers surveyed 1534 ICUs at 975 hospitals. They assessed the implementation of 16 prescribed infection-prevention measures, as well as clinician adherence to these policies for the prevention of CLABSIs, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs).
The survey revealed that most hospitals had policies in place to prevent CLABSIs. Prevalence ranged from 87% for checking lines daily to 97% for applying chlorhexidine at catheter insertion sites.
This was followed by VAP prevention policies, which ranged from 69% for providing chlorhexidine mouth care to 91% for raising the head of the bed.
And finally, the presence of CAUTI policies ranged from 27% for nurse-initiated urinary catheterization to 68% for portable bladder ultrasounds. The researchers said it was surprising that evidence-based practices related to CAUTI prevention have not been well implemented, as CAUTIs are the most frequent HAI.
The survey also showed that many of the ICUs fell short in adhering to infection-prevention policies. Adherence ranged from 37% to 71% for CLABSIs, 45% to 55% for VAP, and 6% to 27% for CAUTIs.
The researchers analyzed other characteristics of the hospitals and their infection-prevention programs as well. The hospitals had an average of 52,578 annual patient-days, with 11,377 admissions, 32 ICU beds, 12 specialty beds, and 182 other beds.
Roughly a third of the departments (34%) had an electronic surveillance system, and most were commercially developed (86%).
Eighty-four percent of the institutions used hospitalists, 49% used intensivists, and 50% had a physician hospital epidemiologist. The average number of infection preventionists per 100 beds was 1.2, but certification of these staff members varied.
Having gained new insight into infection-prevention policies at hospitals across the US, the researchers are now planning to analyze the associations between HAI rates and characteristics of infection-prevention programs. They also plan to look at the relationship between HAI rates and adherence to evidence-based policies. 
Credit: Rhoda Baer
An analysis of US intensive care units (ICUs) shows uneven compliance with policies for preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
The survey of more than 1500 ICUs showed that a majority of hospitals had prevention policies in place for central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). But adherence to these policies ranged from 37% to 71%.
And both the prevalence of and adherence to policies was even lower for 2 other common HAIs.
Patricia W. Stone PhD, of the Columbia University School of Nursing in New York, and her colleagues shared these results in the American Journal of Infection Control.
The researchers surveyed 1534 ICUs at 975 hospitals. They assessed the implementation of 16 prescribed infection-prevention measures, as well as clinician adherence to these policies for the prevention of CLABSIs, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs).
The survey revealed that most hospitals had policies in place to prevent CLABSIs. Prevalence ranged from 87% for checking lines daily to 97% for applying chlorhexidine at catheter insertion sites.
This was followed by VAP prevention policies, which ranged from 69% for providing chlorhexidine mouth care to 91% for raising the head of the bed.
And finally, the presence of CAUTI policies ranged from 27% for nurse-initiated urinary catheterization to 68% for portable bladder ultrasounds. The researchers said it was surprising that evidence-based practices related to CAUTI prevention have not been well implemented, as CAUTIs are the most frequent HAI.
The survey also showed that many of the ICUs fell short in adhering to infection-prevention policies. Adherence ranged from 37% to 71% for CLABSIs, 45% to 55% for VAP, and 6% to 27% for CAUTIs.
The researchers analyzed other characteristics of the hospitals and their infection-prevention programs as well. The hospitals had an average of 52,578 annual patient-days, with 11,377 admissions, 32 ICU beds, 12 specialty beds, and 182 other beds.
Roughly a third of the departments (34%) had an electronic surveillance system, and most were commercially developed (86%).
Eighty-four percent of the institutions used hospitalists, 49% used intensivists, and 50% had a physician hospital epidemiologist. The average number of infection preventionists per 100 beds was 1.2, but certification of these staff members varied.
Having gained new insight into infection-prevention policies at hospitals across the US, the researchers are now planning to analyze the associations between HAI rates and characteristics of infection-prevention programs. They also plan to look at the relationship between HAI rates and adherence to evidence-based policies.
Credit: Rhoda Baer
An analysis of US intensive care units (ICUs) shows uneven compliance with policies for preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
The survey of more than 1500 ICUs showed that a majority of hospitals had prevention policies in place for central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). But adherence to these policies ranged from 37% to 71%.
And both the prevalence of and adherence to policies was even lower for 2 other common HAIs.
Patricia W. Stone PhD, of the Columbia University School of Nursing in New York, and her colleagues shared these results in the American Journal of Infection Control.
The researchers surveyed 1534 ICUs at 975 hospitals. They assessed the implementation of 16 prescribed infection-prevention measures, as well as clinician adherence to these policies for the prevention of CLABSIs, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs).
The survey revealed that most hospitals had policies in place to prevent CLABSIs. Prevalence ranged from 87% for checking lines daily to 97% for applying chlorhexidine at catheter insertion sites.
This was followed by VAP prevention policies, which ranged from 69% for providing chlorhexidine mouth care to 91% for raising the head of the bed.
And finally, the presence of CAUTI policies ranged from 27% for nurse-initiated urinary catheterization to 68% for portable bladder ultrasounds. The researchers said it was surprising that evidence-based practices related to CAUTI prevention have not been well implemented, as CAUTIs are the most frequent HAI.
The survey also showed that many of the ICUs fell short in adhering to infection-prevention policies. Adherence ranged from 37% to 71% for CLABSIs, 45% to 55% for VAP, and 6% to 27% for CAUTIs.
The researchers analyzed other characteristics of the hospitals and their infection-prevention programs as well. The hospitals had an average of 52,578 annual patient-days, with 11,377 admissions, 32 ICU beds, 12 specialty beds, and 182 other beds.
Roughly a third of the departments (34%) had an electronic surveillance system, and most were commercially developed (86%).
Eighty-four percent of the institutions used hospitalists, 49% used intensivists, and 50% had a physician hospital epidemiologist. The average number of infection preventionists per 100 beds was 1.2, but certification of these staff members varied.
Having gained new insight into infection-prevention policies at hospitals across the US, the researchers are now planning to analyze the associations between HAI rates and characteristics of infection-prevention programs. They also plan to look at the relationship between HAI rates and adherence to evidence-based policies.