May 2008 marks the three-year anniversary of the launch of the Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABs) Collaborative—a joint program developed by GNYHA and the United Hospital Fund (UHF) to reduce and eventually eliminate CLABs in hospitals through cultural and systemic change. Since the program’s inception, the initial 36 CLABs-participating hospitals have seen sustained reductions in central line infections by more than 50%, on average. Since 2005, a total of 46 hospitals have joined the program.     

As part of the collaborative, participating hospitals submit monthly data on the number of CLABs incidents for every 1,000 ICU patient days with a central line in place. When the collaborative began in May 2005, the aggregate average CLABs rate for the initial 36 hospitals was 5.0 for every 1,000 ICU patient days with a central line in place. Nationally, about 5.3 CLABs develop for every 1,000 ICU patient days with a central line in place. By the end of December 2007—the last month for which complete CLABs data is available—the initial 36 hospitals participating in the Collaborative had reduced CLABs to 2.3 for every 1,000 ICU patient days with a central line in place. One critical component of the CLABs Collaborative is the adoption of the central line insertion bundle, a kit that includes all of the necessary supplies like the sterile gown and draping for proper line insertion. After implementation of the central line insertion bundle—the 31 months from June 2005 to December 2007—the 48 reporting ICUs from the initial 36 participating hospitals averaged, in the aggregate, 20 months with zero CLABs (or 66% of the 31 months for which data was submitted). Many individual ICUs went consecutive months with zero CLABs on multiple occasions, and a few reported zero CLABs for a year or more. GNYHA will continue to work closely with  members and its partner UHF with the goal of achieving and sustaining zero infections. For more information on the CLABs Collaborative or any of GNYHA’s infection prevention initiatives, contact Terri Straub at straub@gnyha.org.