Cassie uses the Power PICC Solo. PICC Stands for (peripherally inserted central catheter)
NEWS:
21,000 U.S DEATHS each year from PICC LINES
The Beacon Collaborative, formerly called The Bay Area
Patient Safety Collaborative, also reported a
66-percent decline in bloodstream infection caused by
intravenous lines that lead to deep veins. These
"central line-associated infections" cause up to
21,000 U.S. deaths each year, at a cost of $36,000 per
infection, according to statistics cited by the
collaborative.
The IV lines, which create an open gap in the skin,
are easy paths of entry for bacteria, and a common
cause of life-threatening blood infections -- called
sepsis -- for hospitalized patients. Most patients in
intensive care units have central venous catheters,
which DeBaun called "very, very risky."
The decline in infections from these IV lines was
credited to training health care workers to adhere to
a set of simple procedures like adequate hand washing,
as well as better monitoring for infections and
optimal placement of the line. These sets of
procedures are called "bundles," and it's critical
that no step is missed to ensure the best outcome,
DeBaun said.
"It's like making a cake," she explained. "You've got
to have all the right ingredients, or it's not going
to come out right."
San Jose Mecury News -05/08/2008
