The Impact of Care Bundle Approach in Preventing Central Line-associated Bloodstream Infections in Surgical Intensive Care Units

Abstract

Objective: Healthcare-associated infections (HAI), which pose a significant risk to patient safety, are one of the most frequent complications that inpatients encounter. The growing concern about HAI urged the development of evidence-based guidelines for prevention. This study aimed to determine the impact of care bundle approach in preventing central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) in surgical intensive care units. Materials and Methods: This semiexperimental controlled study included 163 subjects (83 patients and 80 controls) who were admitted to surgical intensive care units between September 2017 and October 2018, had a central venous catheter (CVC), and met the inclusion criteria. For CVC care, care bundle recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was applied to the study group. Results: In 23.3% of patients, signs and symptoms of hospital infections were observed. Moreover, 25.2% of catheter tip cultures were positive, and the most frequently isolated microorganism was Staphylococcus epidermidis (58.5%). Patients were evaluated according to the diagnostic criteria for CLABSI. Further, CLABSI was not observed in the intervention group but was diagnosed in 10% (n=8) of the patients in the control group. Conclusion: Care bundle approach is effective in preventing CLABSI.