I am wondering what others are doing to decrease CRBSI's in the peds population--especially those in the out pt arena, on TPN, and with a history of central line infections. What are your connector disinfection practices etc.. thanks in advance. Katie
The INS standards of practice and CDC guidelines would apply to peds as well as adults. Correct administration set management, proper cleaning of the needleless connectors, changing the needleless connectors on the same frequency as continuous sets, would all apply. One new product that was not included in either document was the new disinfectant caps that protect the connection surface of the needleless connectors between uses. There was a poster on this at the recent SHEA conference where a hospital system in Chicago demonstrated significant reduction in BSI rates from their use. The study is still in progress and has not been published yet. There is some concern about these small caps being a choking hazard but from about age 5 and up that should not be an issue. You can also use CHG for skin prep in patients over 2 months of age, ensure dressing integrity, etc. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, NPD-BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861