(February 5, 2010; Henderson, Nev.). According to a recent Consumer Reports™ analysis, St. Rose Dominican Hospitals – Rose de Lima Campus was one of only two hospitals in Nevada that reported zero central-line bloodstream infections in a minimum of 1,000 central-lines days. In an analysis of 926 hospitals nationwide, only 105 hospitals (11 percent) reported no central-line bloodstream infections.
Consumer Reports™ collected and compared data for ICUs in 926 hospitals, finding tremendous variations within the same cities and even within the same health-care systems. Central-line bloodstream infections cause at least 30 percent of the estimated 99,000 annual hospital-infection-related deaths in the U.S. and add an average of $42,000 to the hospital bills of each ICU patient who gets a central-line infection.
A central-line associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) is a type of infection that involves a central-line catheter or tube that doctors may place in a large vein in the neck, chest or arm to enable the rapid administration of fluids, blood or medications to critically ill patients. These long, flexible catheters empty out in or near the heart so that the circulatory system can deliver what is put in them within seconds. A bloodstream infection can occur when bacteria travel down the central line and enter the bloodstream.
“We are proud that our hospital had zero infections in 3,735 ICU central line days,” said Val Baciarelli, president/CEO of St. Rose Dominican Hospitals – Rose de Lima Campus. “Patient safety is our number one priority and we are pleased that our efforts are being recognized at the national level.”
Patients should always be empowered to take steps to ensure their safety while in the hospital and that steps are being taken to guard against infection. Here are some steps consumers can take to protect themselves:
- Look online to find out whether your local hospital makes its infection rate public. Subscribers to Consumer Reports™ health web site can access bloodstream infection data for 926 hospitals at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org. The site also provides links to free state reporting sites.
- Consumers can’t always choose their hospitals; in such cases where a hospital performs poorly, it’s best to prepare for an aggressive plan of action that includes actively communicating with caregivers about steps to prevent infections.
- Patients, friends, and family members should insist that caregivers wash their hands with soap or an alcohol-based solution before touching a patient; don sterile gloves before touching any catheters; and check to see that dressings are in place. They should also insist that caregivers follow the Pronovost checklist (information about the checklist is available for free online at ConsumerReportsHealth.org) and remove devices that enter the body, including central lines and urinary catheters, as soon as they’re no longer needed.
The full list of 105 U.S. hospitals that have tallied zero central-line infections in their most recent reports can be found at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.
