Risk Factors for Central Venous Line Associated Bloodstream Infection in Pediatric Patients 0-18 Years of Age: A Cohort Study

Abstract

This cohort study examined Central Venous Line (CVL) use and risk of Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection (CLABSI) in patients 0 to 18 years of age at a pediatric tertiary care referral center serving 2.3 million people in Halifax, NS. 1 Data was collected between 1995 and 2013 and held in two prospectively maintained databases used for routine hospital surveillance and quality assurance practices. There were 666 CLABSI cases in 9,067 CVLs. The CLABSI rate per 1,000 line-days decreased over time with a large decrease in 2012. This may be due to infection control interventions, including a centre-wide hand hygiene campaign. Risk factors identified in this study are: Care group (an approximation of underlying illness), the use of double lumen CVLs, subclavian CVL insertion, and the use of dressings with gauze, absorbent pads, or pressure cuffs. The use of Port-A-Cath CVLs was the only protective factor identified in this study.