Vascular Access-Healthcare

Vascular Access

What You Need to Know

Many different types of catheters are used daily in healthcare with over 330 million short peripheral intravenous catheters (SPIVs) sold yearly and over 7 million central venous catheters (CVCs) sold each year

Catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) is a clinical term used for diagnostic/treatment purposes and includes infections from all types of catheters

Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) is a surveillance term and includes only those infections pertaining to central venous catheters (CVCs) including nontunneled CVCs, tunneled CVCs, peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs), and implanted ports.

Studies have shown that the average cost of care for a patient with a CRBSI is $45,000 and may place an additional annual burden of $2.3 billion on US healthcare

Most CRBSIs are preventable with adherence to proven intervention bundles

What You Need to Do

Carefully adhere to best evidenced based practice with respect to intervention components following industry accepted guidelines

Education and training must result in competency ensuring that appropriate standards are being followed and that polices and practice comport with those standards

Catheter risk must be managed at critical exposure points including catheter selection, site selection, insertion, maintenance, and responding to adverse events

Be aware of new guidelines which have changed the recommendations for catheter replacement/maintenance

Myths and Misconceptions

In 2008, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) began a policy of no longer providing reimbursement for vascular catheter-associated infections without modification for the type/location of catheter or bloodstream infection- TRUE

Peripheral venous catheters (PVCs) are the source of the largest number of bloodstream infections even though the incidence rate may be lower than central venous catheters- TRUE

Studies have shown that patient skin organisms account for the majority of CRBSIs which is why adherence to skin antisepsis during insertion is critical-TRUE

Adverse events pertaining to catheters often qualify as sentinel and/or serious safety events requiring reporting and root cause analysis -TRUE