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URC to work with CDC to track bloodstream infections in US hospitals

With funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), URC will establish a database to help identify common patterns that lead to central line-associated bloodstream infections, or CLABSI.

Central line infections cause many deaths among US hospital patients

CLABSI occur when hospital patients acquire an infection through an infusion into a vein close to the heart or into one of the great blood vessels. These bloodstream infections occur among hundreds of thousands of hospital patients in the United States each year and are usually serious, often leading to prolonged hospital stays, increased costs, and risk of mortality (CLABSIs are fatal among some 12–25% of those infected).

URC database to track factors that lead to CLABSI

CDC monitors the incidence of CLABSI and needs to understand how to prevent them. URC’s new database will contain expert evaluations of records of patients who developed CLABSI (based on CDC surveillance definitions). This new database will help CDC better understand which factors contribute to patients acquiring CLABSI and how health care workers can more rapidly diagnose these infections.

Electronic reporting system can help monitor and prevent bloodstream infections

URC will create an electronic reporting system that will help identify common patterns that lead to CLABSI with the intent of helping health care providers prevent fatal infections. Automating the surveillance process for CLABSI in this way could greatly improve the efficiency, consistency and timeliness of monitoring and ultimately prevent these infections. 

For more information, please contact Altea Cico at acico@urc-ch.com.

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