Quality and Outcomes Reports - Critical Care

Bloodstream Infection Rate                                   

Why we measure it - Central venous catheters or central lines are commonly used in the pediatric intensive care unit to administer medications and fluids. A central line bloodstream infection can occur when bacteria enters the blood stream causing a patient to become sick. The bacteria most often comes from the patient's skin but can also come from a patient's wound and even from the environment.  

 
What this means - The likelihood of acquiring a bloodstream infection is calculated by the number of infections that occur for every 1,000 days a central line is in place.

About the data - This graph uses data from the Children's Hospital infection control database. Infections are identified and confirmed weekly. Confirmations are made based on National Healthcare Safety Network/CDC criteria. Line days are counted by audit using the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions' (NACHRI) BSI Collaborative instructions. The NACHRI comparison group includes 26 pediatric hospitals nationwide.

Related dimensions of care:

What we're doing to provide the best care:

Children's Hospital leads a national collaborative aimed at reducing health care-associated bloodstream infections. The first six months of the project resulted in a 70 percent reduction in infections by 29 of the participating hospitals.

Our best practices techniques use the following protocols to ensure patient safety:

  • Educate and train staff throughout the hospital on successful strategies for reducing bloodstream infections.
  • Ensure that the central lines are inserted correctly and carefully monitored and maintained.
  • Perform prompt evaluations of possible infections.
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    Patients and families:

    Be an advocate for your child. Participate in daily bedside clinical discussions, provide any information about your child that may be helpful to staff.

    Referring physicians:

    • Referring physicians can access our specialists for consultation or transport 24 hours a day. Call our physician referral line at (800) 266-0366.  
    • Health care providers from outside of our southeastern Wisconsin service area are encouraged to use our web-based 
      e-Consult service. This service is available for non-urgent patient cases only and gives providers access to our specialists to review patient cases, obtain medical advice or second opinions, and receive care recommendations for rare symptoms and illnesses.
      e-Consult is not to be used by the general public, parents/guardians or families.
    • Care guidelines for medical professionals
    • Educational materials
    • Pocket Directory

    If you have questions about this data or information, email us or call (414) 266-6556.