1. Central lines, aseptic batching services, and infection rates: A pharmacy-led initiative of intravenous tube priming within a NICU.
- Author
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Zackeroff S, Nash D, McDermott K, Miller RR, and Pasquini G
- Subjects
- Humans, Infant, Newborn, Pharmacists organization & administration, Colorado epidemiology, Cross Infection prevention & control, Cross Infection epidemiology, Hospitals, Pediatric organization & administration, Infusions, Intravenous instrumentation, Intensive Care Units, Neonatal, Pharmacy Service, Hospital organization & administration, Catheter-Related Infections prevention & control, Catheter-Related Infections epidemiology, Catheterization, Central Venous adverse effects, Catheterization, Central Venous methods, Catheterization, Central Venous instrumentation
- Abstract
Purpose: Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are hospital-acquired, serious complications that greatly affect many vulnerable neonates throughout their hospital stay. This article describes the implementation of a unique practice in which pharmacy primes continuous infusions through medication tubing for neonatal central lines in a cleanroom at Children's Hospital Colorado - Colorado Springs (CHCO-CSH)., Summary: This institution is a freestanding children's hospital with a level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) that opened in April 2019. Since then, the pharmacy department has been priming central line tubing for continuous infusions for all patients in the NICU. Neonates are at increased risk for developing CLABSIs due to their immature immune systems and frequent need for central line placement. With that in mind, the pharmacy department decided to focus efforts on this population. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians received training on how to properly prime tubing, document when a patient received a new central line, document if a central line was removed, and record when new tubing was due based on a department policy., Conclusion: This novel, pharmacy-led priming procedure resulted in a low CLABSI incidence, offering a promising strategy to reduce CLABSIs in a NICU., (© American Society of Health-System Pharmacists 2024. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)
- Published
- 2024
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