Catheter Related Blood Stream Infection (CR-BSI)

What does it mean?

A central venous catheter (also called central line), is a thin, long, flexible tube that is used to give medicines, nutrients, fluids, or blood products over a long period of time, normally many weeks or more. A central line is often inserted in the neck, arm or chest through the skin into a large vein. The catheter is threaded through this vein till it reaches a large vein close to the heart.  The line may be used in patients in the ICU for infusion, or haemodynamic monitoring. Catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) is a bloodstream infection attributed to the intravascular catheter. It is measured as the number of catheter related blood stream infections happening in the ICU per 1000 central line days.

What does it indicate?

The lower the rate of infection, especially in critical care areas implies stringent protocols and infection control practices as well as quicker recovery for the patient.

* References chosen for the benchmark of each indicator, are the best of class for that respective indicator
** All values audited and validated by the Apollo Clinical Audit Team