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in the intensive care unit
Results of an anonymous survey suggest healthcare professionals in the US may not consistently follow recommendations for preventing bloodstream infections in patients with arterial catheters.
Of the roughly 1000 critical care clinicians surveyed, fewer than half said they comply with the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, which recommend the use of limited barrier precautions during arterial catheter insertion.
This includes sterile gloves, a surgical cap, a surgical mask, and a small sterile drape.
“Barrier precautions are employed inconsistently by critical care clinicians across the nation, and such individuals underestimate the infection risks posed by arterial catheters,” said Leonard A. Mermel, DO, of Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.
He and his colleagues reported these findings in Critical Care Medicine.
The researchers sent an anonymous, web-based survey to 11,361 physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, respiratory therapists, and registered nurses who receive emails from the Society of Critical Care Medicine.
There were 1265 responses (an 11% response rate) and 1029 eligible participants after exclusions.
Of the eligible respondents, 44% said they used CDC-recommended barrier precautions during arterial catheter insertion, and 15% said they use full barrier precautions.
However, 39% of respondents said they would support mandatory use of full barrier precautions during arterial catheter insertion.
“There appears to be a significant deviation from clinical guidelines regarding a very commonly performed procedure in critically ill patients,” said study author Andrew Levinson, MD, also of Rhode Island Hospital.
“Bloodstream infections are largely preventable, and if the survey results mirror the clinical practice in the US, there’s work to be done in reducing risk of such infections.”
The survey also indicated that respondents underestimate the risk of bloodstream infections associated with arterial catheters. The respondents’ mean estimate of infection incidence was 0.3 per 1000 catheter-days, and the median estimate was 0.1 per 1000 catheter-days.
However, Dr Mermel and his colleagues said recent studies have suggested the incidence of bloodstream infections associated with arterial catheters in the US is 0.9 to 3.4 per 1000 catheter-days. 
in the intensive care unit
Results of an anonymous survey suggest healthcare professionals in the US may not consistently follow recommendations for preventing bloodstream infections in patients with arterial catheters.
Of the roughly 1000 critical care clinicians surveyed, fewer than half said they comply with the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, which recommend the use of limited barrier precautions during arterial catheter insertion.
This includes sterile gloves, a surgical cap, a surgical mask, and a small sterile drape.
“Barrier precautions are employed inconsistently by critical care clinicians across the nation, and such individuals underestimate the infection risks posed by arterial catheters,” said Leonard A. Mermel, DO, of Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.
He and his colleagues reported these findings in Critical Care Medicine.
The researchers sent an anonymous, web-based survey to 11,361 physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, respiratory therapists, and registered nurses who receive emails from the Society of Critical Care Medicine.
There were 1265 responses (an 11% response rate) and 1029 eligible participants after exclusions.
Of the eligible respondents, 44% said they used CDC-recommended barrier precautions during arterial catheter insertion, and 15% said they use full barrier precautions.
However, 39% of respondents said they would support mandatory use of full barrier precautions during arterial catheter insertion.
“There appears to be a significant deviation from clinical guidelines regarding a very commonly performed procedure in critically ill patients,” said study author Andrew Levinson, MD, also of Rhode Island Hospital.
“Bloodstream infections are largely preventable, and if the survey results mirror the clinical practice in the US, there’s work to be done in reducing risk of such infections.”
The survey also indicated that respondents underestimate the risk of bloodstream infections associated with arterial catheters. The respondents’ mean estimate of infection incidence was 0.3 per 1000 catheter-days, and the median estimate was 0.1 per 1000 catheter-days.
However, Dr Mermel and his colleagues said recent studies have suggested the incidence of bloodstream infections associated with arterial catheters in the US is 0.9 to 3.4 per 1000 catheter-days.
in the intensive care unit
Results of an anonymous survey suggest healthcare professionals in the US may not consistently follow recommendations for preventing bloodstream infections in patients with arterial catheters.
Of the roughly 1000 critical care clinicians surveyed, fewer than half said they comply with the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, which recommend the use of limited barrier precautions during arterial catheter insertion.
This includes sterile gloves, a surgical cap, a surgical mask, and a small sterile drape.
“Barrier precautions are employed inconsistently by critical care clinicians across the nation, and such individuals underestimate the infection risks posed by arterial catheters,” said Leonard A. Mermel, DO, of Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.
He and his colleagues reported these findings in Critical Care Medicine.
The researchers sent an anonymous, web-based survey to 11,361 physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, respiratory therapists, and registered nurses who receive emails from the Society of Critical Care Medicine.
There were 1265 responses (an 11% response rate) and 1029 eligible participants after exclusions.
Of the eligible respondents, 44% said they used CDC-recommended barrier precautions during arterial catheter insertion, and 15% said they use full barrier precautions.
However, 39% of respondents said they would support mandatory use of full barrier precautions during arterial catheter insertion.
“There appears to be a significant deviation from clinical guidelines regarding a very commonly performed procedure in critically ill patients,” said study author Andrew Levinson, MD, also of Rhode Island Hospital.
“Bloodstream infections are largely preventable, and if the survey results mirror the clinical practice in the US, there’s work to be done in reducing risk of such infections.”
The survey also indicated that respondents underestimate the risk of bloodstream infections associated with arterial catheters. The respondents’ mean estimate of infection incidence was 0.3 per 1000 catheter-days, and the median estimate was 0.1 per 1000 catheter-days.
However, Dr Mermel and his colleagues said recent studies have suggested the incidence of bloodstream infections associated with arterial catheters in the US is 0.9 to 3.4 per 1000 catheter-days.