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Pittsburgh hosptials reduce bloodstream infections

Quality Improvement Monitor, July 21, 2005

Pittsburgh-area hospitals reported a 63% decline in healthcare-associated bloodstream infections since 2001, according to the Pittsburgh Regional Healthcare Initiative.

The number of infections reported by hospitals dropped from 123 infections per quarter to 36. The decline in infections associated with intravenous catheters follows a collaborative effort with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nearly 80,000 intravenous-catheter bloodstream infections occur in U.S. intesive care units each year, the organization said. Adhering to guidelines for catheter insertion and care, such as proper draping and sterilization of the insertion site, can help reduce infection rates, the group said.

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