Recent studies show that approximately 41,000 patients in the United States alone develop central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) annually and that CLABSIs are one of the most deadly types of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the annual cost of CLABSI is more than $1 billion, and the estimated cost per patient is more than $16,000. The risk associated with CLABSI is even greater in developing countries, where the rates of HAIs related to devices are, in most cases, three to five times greater.

A new toolkit, “Preventing Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections—Useful Tools, an International Perspective,” developed by the Joint Commission, Joint Commission Resources (JCR), and Joint Commission International (JCI), and a 2012 monograph, “Preventing Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections—A Global Challenge, a Global Perspective,” provide information and guidance on practices and technology, as well as the most appropriate tools, resources, and education to assist healthcare organizations with their efforts to prevent CLABSIs. 

The toolkit and monograph are designed for healthcare personnel who insert and care for central venous catheters and who are responsible for the surveillance, prevention, and control of infections in all healthcare settings. They address

  • Types of central venous catheters and risk factors for and pathogenesis of CLABSIs
  • Background on CLABSIs, including clinical practice guidelines, position papers, initiatives on CLABSI prevention, and barriers to best practices
  • CLABSI prevention strategies, techniques, and technologies
  • CLABSI patient safety initiatives and factors contributing to improvement
  • CLABSI surveillance, benchmarking, and pubic reporting
  • Economic aspects of CLABSIs and their prevention.

For more information, visit the online toolkit. For more information on preventing infections in patients with cancer, check out the ONS Putting Evidence Into Practice resources on infection prevention.