Developing and Maintaining a Central Venous Catheter Registry

It has been estimated that 90% of bloodstream infections associated with catheters, are due to CVCs, and that 500 to 4,000 patients in the United States die annually due to these bloodstream infections. The risk of central line associated bloodstream infections is typically expressed as the number of line infections per 1000 catheter days. This study's goal is to develop a uniform CL protocol, updated practice guidelines based on current evidence, and a standard procedural checklist based on CL care bundles recommended by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. A secondary goal is to create a CL registry to capture and store data relevant to each CL placed throughout the institution. This registry will provide a wealth of data on CL insertions and complications that may be used as a valuable source of information for quality assurance, performance improvement, and research. With the knowledge and information obtained through this registry, educational offerings can be created, and a standardized institutional process for CL insertion can be developed.