Home health aides — who provide a variety of services, from administering medication to catheter care — are required to receive at least 75 hours of training, including 16 hours of practical training with a registered nurse, and to complete a written test in English.
Catheter care is considered to be important for prevention of catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CABSIs) although epidemiological evidence is sparse.
Standard catheter care included 0.5 % CHG in 70 % ethanol for skin preparation before CVC insertion and maximal sterile barriers.
The results suggest that hospital guidelines for SPVC insertion can improve catheter care and significantly reduce local catheter-related complications.
The risk factors for catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) that are associated with catheter care have not been examined in detail by prospective studies or randomised clinical trials.
This would provide further support for implementing a catheter care bundle.
A catheter care bundle has the potential to be cost-effective in the Australian intensive care setting.
Moreover, although a $4.3 million dollar catheter care bundle initiative would be cost-effective, it would represent a substantial investment.
This provides the first data about the economic conditions under which a catheter care bundle might be cost-effective in the intensive care unit setting.
Figure 2 shows the cost and effectiveness thresholds for the catheter care bundle compared to uncoated, CH/SSD and MR catheters.
A bundled approach to central venous catheter care is currently being promoted as an effective way of preventing catheter-related bloodstream infection (CR-BSI).
