Healthcare industry leaders call for improved prevention of catheter infections

Washington, D.C., October 3: Representatives from the roundtable summit, “A Leadership Strategy for the Prevention of Line Sepsis”, released a policy statement today outlining strategies for patients and healthcare professionals to reduce the incidence of line sepsis, a potentially fatal hospital-acquired infection that affects approximately 250,000 patients each year in the U.S. alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The summit engaged healthcare providers across disciplines, government agencies and constituency groups. The recommendations were announced by representatives from Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. (APIC), University HealthSystem Consortium and West Penn Allegheny Health System.

The recommendations, developed independently by the distinguished panel members, call for patients, healthcare associations, government agencies and healthcare professionals to work collaboratively to drastically reduce line infection and include:
1. Standardized measurement and implementation of best practices
2. Expand patient education to foster greater involvement in their own healthcare
3. Cross-disciplinary team development and continuing education on best practices
4. Organizational leadership to support a culture of patient safety
5. Greater incentives for compliance and data transparency

“Line sepsis is largely considered preventable when adhering to evidence-based guidelines, so it is imperative that patients and hospitals are empowered with information to keep patients safe. The summit’s recommendations are a great contribution to the ongoing, collaborative effort of improving the quality of patient care,” said John Nance, founding board member of the National Patient Safety Foundation and speaker at the summit.

“A Leadership Strategy for the Prevention of Line Sepsis” roundtable summit, supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Cook Medical, a medical device manufacturer that produces minocycline and rifampin impregnated catheters aimed at reducing the occurrence of line sepsis, provided a forum to develop clear recommendations for patients and the healthcare community to follow to prevent line sepsis.

Line sepsis develops when bacteria enter a patient’s bloodstream through the channel created by a central venous catheterdefine (CVC). According to research conducted by Johns Hopkins Medical Institution, line sepsis causes approximately 28,000 U.S. deaths each year.