Bloodstream infection rate

Quality and Outcomes Reports - Critical Care

Why we measure it - Central venous catheters or central lines are commonly used in the pediatric intensive care unit to administer medications and fluids. A central line bloodstream infection can occur when bacteria enters the blood stream causing a patient to become sick. The bacteria most often comes from the patient's skin but can also come from a patient's wound and even from the environment.


What this means - The likelihood of acquiring a bloodstream infection is calculated by the number of infections that occur for every 1,000 days a central line is in place.

About the data - This graph uses data from the Children's Hospital infection control database. Infections are identified and confirmed weekly. Confirmations are made based on National Healthcare Safety Network/CDC criteria. Line days are counted by audit using the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions' (NACHRI) BSI Collaborative instructions. The NACHRI comparison group includes 26 pediatric hospitals nationwide.

Related dimensions of care:

imgSafe imgEffective 

How we provide the best care

  • Children's Hospital leads a national collaborative aimed at reducing health care-associated bloodstream infections. The first six months of the project resulted in a 70 percent reduction in infections by 29 of the participating hospitals.
  • Our best practices techniques use the following protocols to ensure patient safety:
    • Educate and train staff throughout the hospital on successful strategies for reducing bloodstream infections.
    • Ensure that the central lines are inserted correctly and carefully monitored and maintained.
    • Perform prompt evaluations of possible infections.