BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - A Vermont hospital is touting its milestone of three years’ running with no bloodstream infections in its neonatal intensive care unit.
Fletcher Allen Health Care officials say they passed the three-year mark with none of the infections that are associated with the insertion of central line catheters.
Hospital officials say they also have a zero infection rate in 3,000 hip and knee replacement surgeries over the past several years.
Fletcher Allen in 2009 began participating in research projects with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that led to new guidelines for reducing bloodstream infections in dialysis and other patients nationwide.
Dr. Charles Mercier, director of the hospital’s NICU unit, says strict monitoring of how catheter lines are used and maintained is a key factor behind reduced infection rates.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.