What were we all doing to prevent device related HAIs during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Reviewed by Jen Cihlar, DO, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Every 4 years infection preventionists nationwide answer survey questions regarding how often their hospitals use various practices to prevent device related HAIs; this study reported cross-sectional survey results from 2021 to describe prevention measures for HAIs. The most used CAUTI prevention measures were use of aseptic insertion/maintenance (89.3%), followed by use of portable bladder scanners (65.6%) and nurse driven catheter discontinuation (52.4); rates of these practices increased from 2005-2017 but significantly declined in 2021, thought to be attributed to overworked nursing staff and reduced contact with COVID patients. Reported use of CLABSI and VAE prevention practices had increased since 2005 but plateaued over the past several survey periods. Use of semi recumbent positioning (93.4%) and patient sedation vacations (85.8%) were the primary reported VAE prevention practices. Nearly all hospitals reported regular use of maximum sterile-barrier precautions during central line insertion and chlorhexidine for insertion-site antisepsis, likely due to large-scale collaboratives with CLABSI “bundles”. Only 64% of surveyed hospitals reported strong to very strong IP support from hospital leadership, even in 2021. This survey highlights the need for continued reinforcement of these practices to withstand future shocks to the healthcare system.
Reference:
Saint S, Greene MT, Krein SL, et al.. What US hospitals are doing to prevent common device-associated infections during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: Results from a national survey in the United States. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. Published online 2023:1-7. doi:10.1017/ice.2023.65