Following other reports that simple hygiene changes can result in saved lives and dollars, another announcement from Johns Hopkins Children's Center indicates that basic central-line hygiene prevented almost 3,000 infections, saved hundreds of patients, and saved $104 million at 88 pediatric hospitals over five years.
Spearheaded by the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI), the quality improvement program, launched in 2006, examined how low-tech ways could improve daily maintenance and care of central lines. They found that simple things, such as conducting a daily assessment of whether a line was needed, regularly changing dressings, cleaning the line before and after use, and hand washing, all helped to reduce infections.
A central-line infection costs up to $45,000, according to a Johns Hopkins press release. However, with these basic changes, the national program prevented 2,964 central-line infections and saved 355 lives.
"These results are a powerful example of how some of the most basic and low-tech practices, if followed unapologetically and without fail, can not only benefit the individual patient immediately but yield dramatic long-term improvement for the healthcare system as a whole," said Dr. Marlene Miller, director of Pediatric Quality and Safety at Hopkins Children's and vice president for Quality Transformation at NACHRI.
The program results follow similar studies that demonstrate positive outcomes from low-cost, basic hygiene compliance.
"These results from children's hospitals across the country are proof that what we're seeing is no accident. Simple strategies can drive real progress when applied consistently," said Dr. Allen Chen, director of the pediatric bone-marrow transplant program at Hopkins Children's.
Last week, a study published in Health Affairs found that using antiseptics and antibiotics with central lines contributed to shortened length of stay and lowered hospitalization costs. The daily costs of chlorhexidine antiseptic patches are 60 cents per day, and the predicted savings for the hospital unit would be $12 million, coupled with other hygiene improvements.
Interestingly enough, many hospitals are taking it upon themselves to make improvements without government intervention, said NACHRI President and CEO Lawrence McAndrews in a press release.
"Policy makers regularly point to hospitals as key drivers of health care's rising costs," said McAndrews. "Together children's hospitals have successfully eliminated $100 million in preventable hospital costs. And they've done it without government intervention or significant government funding. But more importantly, children's hospitals are saving hospitalized patients from serious, sometimes fatal infections."
For more information:
- read the Johns Hopkins press release
- read the NACHRI press release
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