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Participating hospitals: Bethesda North Hospital • The Christ Hospital • Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center • Cincinnati Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center • The Fort Hamilton Hospital • Good Samaritan Hospital • The Jewish Hospital • Mercy Mount Airy • St. Elizabeth Medical Center • The University Hospital
Each year in the United States, nosocomial infections occur in 7 to 10 percent of hospitalized patients, account for 80,000 deaths, and lead to approximately $3.5 billion in direct costs. This patient safety collaborative, based on the work of the Cincinnati Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, successfully reduced nosocomial infections for patients receiving care in the highest risk areas of acute care—the operating room and intensive care units. Strategies included: 1) reducing central-line infections by standardizing the use of sterile barriers(e.g., sterile gloves and gowns, full bed-size drapes) and applying chlorhexidine gluconate antiseptic to the insertion site; 2) reducing surgical site infections by using correct antibiotic timing; and 3) staff training in organizational change methodology.
Staff was critical to the success of the project. Staff met with manufacturers to develop a new central line insertion kit with contents to facilitate correct central line insertion. Physicians and staff had in-services on the new central line tray and contents, and received education on the benefits of using chlorhexidine. During 2003-2004, the initiative achieved the following:
- Reduced central line infections by 50 percent.
- Increased adherence to evidence-based practices to 95 percent from 30 percent.
- Created a new model for facilitating improvement as a community, with an increased chance of success, sharing of successful strategies, reducing rework across the sites, and speeding the implementation process.
About Greater Cincinnati Patient Safety ICU
The Greater Cincinnati Patient Safety ICU Collaborative is part of the Greater Cincinnati Health Council, a not-for-profit member service organization, which is dedicated to working cooperatively with hospitals and other health care providers in Southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana to promote high quality, cost-effective patient care. The Council provides services to its members that enhance their ability to deliver high quality, cost-effective health care and wellness services to the people of the Tristate, speaks for its members to key audiences, and, on behalf of its membership, collaborates with community organizations in activities that promote positive health outcomes.
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