Infections down at UNC Hospitals

Infections — a possible side effect of admitting oneself to a hospital — are occurring less frequently at UNC Hospitals.

In a study published earlier this year, UNC researchers reported an 85 percent reduction in central line-associated infections during the past decade.

Central line-associated infections are caused by intravenous needles typically inserted in the neck or near the heart.

“Health care-related infections are the sixth leading cause of death in the United States,” said Dr. David Weber, a UNC School of Medicine official who worked on the study.

“We want to make the hospital as safe as possible. The goal of health care is to make people better, not worse”.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that there are 1.7 million health care-associated infections reported annually, connected with 99,000 deaths each year. Many of those infections are central line-associated.

The National Healthcare Safety Network educates about this infection type, Weber said.

The network collects data from more than 2,600 hospitals across the United States in order to track the number and rate of infections caused by transfusions.

Twenty-one states are required by law to participate in the program, but North Carolina is not one of them.

Despite that, Weber said the infection rate of UNC Hospitals compares favorably to other hospitals.

“Our efforts to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections have existed over the past 10 years,” said Emily Sickbert-Bennett, who also contributed to the study. “It has been led by frontline staff that have taken ownership to conduct intense monitoring.”

Larry Mandelkehr, director of performance and quality improvement at UNC Hospitals, said fewer patients are dying or living with the aftermath of complications brought on by infections because of the hospitals’ efforts.

“It means less time in the hospital for patients and lower costs for the hospital because these patients do not require care,” he said. “It certainly is satisfying that we are taking better care of our patients.”

Weber said that this is of national importance due to the number of deaths caused by central line-associated infections.

Most infections occur on the skin, Sickbert-Bennett said.

“We keep track of the infections and the compliance of UNC Hospitals to prevent infection from occurring,” Weber said.

Joel Ray, director of surgery services, said the push is a collaborative effort.

“The entire hospital has been focused on reducing the infections,” he said. “It’s really been the effort of almost every health care professional working towards this goal.

“We’re really seeing the results of some very hard work and lots of great effort. It’s making a difference for our patients and that’s what we all come to work for.”

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.