Bridging the Gap: A Collaborative to Reduce Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Infections in the Home Care Environment

ABSTRACT Background: Ochsner Health System agreed to participate in a nationwide collaboration to reduce central line infections in our intensive care units. Our outpatient peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) infection rate was unacceptably high, so as an adjunct to the nationwide study we attempted to reduce PICC infections in the home care environment. Typically, home health nurses or outpatient infusion centers care for PICCs per protocol. However, no standardized protocol exists, and each facility may have a different way to care for PICCs, leading to varied and inconsistent maintenance. Methods: Key members from our hospital, home health agencies, and an infusion company formulated a plan to reduce outpatient PICC infections. We hypothesized that the only way to reduce infections was to standardize line care and maintenance and to empower the patient to be an advocate for his or her care. The best avenue for achieving standardized care across multiple infusion companies and multiple home he...