Using the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) to Reduce Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections (CLABSI) Rates in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit by Improving Maintenance Bundle Compliance

Purpose: Central line associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs) prolong hospitalizations, increase exposure to infectious disease and antibiotics, and increase costs. This results in unnecessary physical, emotional, and financial burdens for patients and families. Our institution’s PICU adopted a central line prevention bundle in October 2015 to reduce CLABSI rates. However, average monthly compliance with the maintenance bundle was only six percent and CLABSI rates remained higher than desired (2.3/1000 central line days). Several studies have suggested that improved bundle compliance can lead to a reduction in CLABSI rates. As a …