NEPTUNE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a newly published article, a prominent physician suggests that online surveys can help advance two important healthcare-related campaigns:
* The national initiative to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs); and
* Efforts to protect patients and clinicians from infectious agents in healthcare settings, in part through proper hand washing.
The article appears in the Spring 2012 issue of the Journal of the Association for Vascular Access (JAVA).
“These surveys illustrate the strength of this kind of research, because they turned up information that points the way to valuable solutions,” said author Gregory Schears, M.D., of Rochester, Minn. He is an anesthesiologist, pediatric intensivist, and physician liaison to the PICC team at his hospital.
Dr. Schears notes that progress against CLABSIs and other infections has been slowed by unsafe behaviors.
“Online surveys increase our understanding of the human factors behind these behaviors and can help us devise better strategies -- including technologies that improve compliance with infection-control protocols,” he said.
The paper by Dr. Schears highlights research showing that nurses blame time pressure as the chief reason that most nurses don’t adequately disinfect IV connectors using the “scrub the hub” method.
As an example of how an online survey can help improve clinical practice, the article described a survey on disinfection of IV needleless connectors.
Most of the approximately 600 respondents said nurses usually fail to follow the manual, “scrub the hub” method of disinfecting IV connectors.
Seventy-six percent of nurse respondents blamed “rushed for time” as the reason for noncompliance with the traditional, manual method.
A substantial majority said they were aware that an isopropyl-alcohol-dispensing device called a disinfection cap could be used to cover and disinfect an IV connector.
“These findings show the usefulness of surveys in several ways,” said Dr. Schears. “They increase our understanding of the disadvantages of manual disinfection. They also show there is widespread awareness of disinfection caps. That means there is a strong chance these caps can be successfully used in most facilities.”
The survey was conducted by Excelsior Medical, Inc., which makes an evidence-based disinfection cap called SwabCap®.
Another survey in the article questioned interventional radiologists on a range of infection control protocols, including actions that protected patients from CLABSIs and protected the radiologists themselves from potential infections.
The survey, which had 1,061 respondents, revealed lax behavior in both areas:
* Only 19% said they routinely washed their hands between glove applications for central line placement. Hand washing is a fundamental patient safety precaution when inserting central lines.
* Among other patient safety lapses during central line placement, only 54% said they used full-barrier precautions, also a fundamental precaution and one mandated by the CDC to prevent CLABSIs.
Resources
Text:
* CDC Guidelines (reference to disinfection cap technology on p. 56)
* Clinical case study: Combined Disinfection Cap and Flush Syringe Improve IV Disinfection Process
* M.D. Reports on Adding Disinfection Cap to Hospital Infection Control Practices
* Clinical Case Study: Disinfection Cap and Flush Syringe Improve Disinfection of IV Connectors
Video:
* Data from multi-site clinical trial of disinfection cap
* Hospital reduces both catheter infections and costs with disinfection cap
* IV catheter disinfection for pediatric patients
About Excelsior Medical Corp.
Excelsior Medical Corporation is a privately held company with a primary focus on innovative catheter maintenance products that may reduce infection, medication errors and healthcare costs. The company makes SwabCap, SwabKIT™ and SwabFlush™ for disinfection and protection of IV needleless connectors. Formed in 1989, Excelsior also manufactures and sells pre-filled saline flush syringes, pre-filled heparin flush and lock syringes, and syringe pump systems to customers throughout the world.
For more information, call 800-487-4276 or access www.excelsiormedical.com.