Preventing Infection While Inserting Central Venous Catheters (Cvcs)
Preventing Infection While Inserting Central Venous Catheters (CVCs)
Newborn and premature critically ill infants in neonatal intensive care units face many challenges. Infants have delicate veins, so peripheral IVs usually last only a few days. A centrally inserted intravenous line is similar to a peripheral IV line, but lasts longer. It is difficult to insert these lines in newborn and premature infants and takes several attempts, thus making them more prone to infections, especially nosocomial infections which are very common in neonatal intensive care units. The most common infection is the central line associated blood stream infection (CLABSI). The risk is greater when the central intravenous line is in place for a longer period of time, especially when the catheter is not maintained appropriately or when there is a leakage of IV fluid into the tissues. Inserting a central intravenous line is a sterile procedure so it is a nurse’s responsibility to minimize the risk of infections. Health care-associated infections increase the length of hospitalization, hospital cost, patient discomfort, and morbidity and mortality rates (O 'Grady & Pearson, 2002). Thus, it is important for health care professional and nurses to be responsible for knowing their roles and how to use maximum sterile barriers while placing central venous catheters. According to the Agency for Healthcare and Research Quality (AHRQ), there are many practices healthcare professionals should follow to prevent CLABSI (Marschall, 2008). Maximum sterile barriers are one of the essential practices when inserting central venous catheters to prevent catheter-related bloodstream infections, which are observed in a patient care scenario that occurred in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Jenkins is a former 30 weeks-premature male infant born with respiratory distress and placed on a ventilator. He later developed bowel distention and could not tolerate formula. He was started on a course of antibiotics
Newborn and premature critically ill infants in neonatal intensive care units face many challenges. Infants have delicate veins, so peripheral IVs usually last only a few days. A centrally inserted intravenous line is similar to a peripheral IV line, but lasts longer. It is difficult to insert these lines in newborn and premature infants and takes several attempts, thus making them more prone to infections, especially nosocomial infections which are very common in neonatal intensive care units. The most common infection is the central line associated blood stream infection (CLABSI). The risk is greater when the central intravenous line is in place for a longer period of time, especially when the catheter is not maintained appropriately or when there is a leakage of IV fluid into the tissues. Inserting a central intravenous line is a sterile procedure so it is a nurse’s responsibility to minimize the risk of infections. Health care-associated infections increase the length of hospitalization, hospital cost, patient discomfort, and morbidity and mortality rates (O 'Grady & Pearson, 2002). Thus, it is important for health care professional and nurses to be responsible for knowing their roles and how to use maximum sterile barriers while placing central venous catheters. According to the Agency for Healthcare and Research Quality (AHRQ), there are many practices healthcare professionals should follow to prevent CLABSI (Marschall, 2008). Maximum sterile barriers are one of the essential practices when inserting central venous catheters to prevent catheter-related bloodstream infections, which are observed in a patient care scenario that occurred in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Jenkins is a former 30 weeks-premature male infant born with respiratory distress and placed on a ventilator. He later developed bowel distention and could not tolerate formula. He was started on a course of antibiotics
References: Marschall, J. et. al. (2008). Strategies to Prevent Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections in Acute Care Hospitals. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, (29), 22-27. Retrieved from http://www.premierinc.com/safety/topics/HAI/downloads/Consumer-Guide-clabsi.pdf. Miller-Hoover, S. R., & Small, L. (2009). Research Evidence Review and Appraisal: Pediatric Central Venous Catheter Care Bundling. Evidence-Based Practice, 35(3). 191-193. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19681380. O 'Grady, N. P., & Pearson, M. L., et. al. (2002). Guidelines for the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-Related Infections. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 51(10), 6. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5110a1.htm. Raad, I., Hanna, H., & Maki, D. (2007). Intravascular Catheter-related Infections: Advances in Diagnosis, Prevention, and Management. The Lancet, 7, 49-50. Retrieved from http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current. Sharpe, E. L. (2009). Tiny Patient, Tiny Dressings. Advances in Neonatal Care, 8(3), 153-154. Retrieved from http://www.nursingcenter.com/pdf.asp?AID=798182.