(We've touched upon hospital-acquired infections in the past. Nick posted previously about how they conquered it in his hospital. Today we highlight one of the most common & costly infections in our nation's hospitals)

Guest post by Thomas Cherry, RN, BSN

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A preventable epidemic is affecting hospitals nationwide, accounting for half of all major complications and ultimately compromising the health of each patient. Approximately one in 10 hospital patients will contract an HAI during their hospital stay according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) resulting in as much as $3 billion in associated costs. With a determined interest in patient safety and quality care, local and national hospital administrators are implementing a series of initiatives aimed at eliminating these infections in order to secure their bottom line.

One of the most common and costly HAIs is catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs). CRBSIs develop when bacteria—such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)—enter a patient’s bloodstream through the channel created by a central venous catheter (CVC), which is usually inserted in patients in need of frequent and/or continuous injections of medications or fluids. CRBSIs can lead to endocarditis, clinical sepsis, multi-organ system failure and eventually even death. The CDC estimates that there are at least 250,000 U.S. cases of CRBSIs annually, with additional treatment costs of $35,000 per infection. As part of hospitals’ efforts to reduce their CRBSI rates, hospitals have implemented several practices, including, maximum sterile barriers, proper hand-washing guidelines, process control measures using checklists during procedures to ensure sterile technique is maintained, and the routine use of antibiotic-impregnated CVCs.

As states begin to launch infection reporting sites and researchers identify best practices for reducing MRSA transmission, healthcare professionals must adopt practices to reduce CRBSIs and HAIs in their institutions. In addition, beginning October 1, 2008 as part of CMS-1533-P, Medicare will no longer provide hospitals with reimbursement for secondary conditions that are acquired during a hospital stay that are deemed preventable by following evidence-based guidelines. More than ever, healthcare industry leaders must strive to eliminate barriers to the adoption of prevention practices in everyday patient care in order to save lives and eliminate infections and extra treatment costs.

Thomas Cherry is Clinical Product Manager of the Critical Care division of Cook Medical