Claire Rickard: Prevention of Vascular Catheter Associated Bloodstream Infections

Bloodstream infections (BSI) are the most deadly healthcare associated infections, and 35% of these are caused by intravenous (IV) therapy through various types of IV catheter [1] . Such ‘catheter-associated BSI (CABSI)’ substantially increase risk of death, prolong ICU and hospital stay, and healthcare costs. Nurses are responsible for many aspects of catheter insertion, management, troubleshooting, and removal. To prevent CABSI, we must deny microorganisms entry into the blood via both the: (1) catheter insertion site, and (2) internal catheter lumen. This presentation reviews the concept of CABSI, core fundamentals of infection prevention, and reviews recent evidence from large randomised controlled trials. To watch the lecture, and learn more about the speaker, please visit https://www.continulus.com