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ECONOMIC IMPACT OF AN INTRAVENOUS TEAM IN REDUCING CENTRAL

LINE ASSOCIATED BLOODSTREAM INFECTIONS

Vivek Agnihotri

Dissertation Committee:

Dr. Daria Napierkowski (Chairperson)

Dr. Alma Ratcliffe (Expert)

Dr. Karen Phillips (Reader)

Approved by the Committee on the

Degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice

February 21 st , 2014

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

Degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice

William Paterson University of New Jersey

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Vivek Agnihotri

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to acknowledge the support from William Paterson University and Saint Clare’s Hospital.

I would also like to acknowledge the following individuals for their support and advice:

Dr. Daria Napierkowski, Professor, Department of Nursing

Dr. Karen Phillips, Professor, Department of Nursing

Dr. Alma Ratcliffe, Executive Vice President of Medical Affairs

Dr. Brenda Marshall, Coordinator, DNP program

Dr. Cheryl Beers Director of Clinical Operations & Budget

Mr. King Law, Data Analyst, Quality Management

Ms. Laura Anderson, Nurse Epidemiologist

Dr. Philip Chase, Professor, Department of English

Dedication

This dissertation is dedicated to my wife Ngawang and our children Natasha and Akash

for their support and encouragement through this doctoral journey. Their support and

encouragement made this a smooth journey. What a Journey this has been.

iv

ABSTRACT

Objective: To determine the cost effectiveness of utilizing a hospital based nursing intravenous

team to lower central line associated blood stream infections (CLABSI).

Research Method: The research was conducted using the following key words and various

combinations of the key terminology, namely: central venous catheters; central lines; central line

associated bloodstream infections; hospital acquired infections; cost benefit analysis of CLABSI;

economics of HAI; hospital acquired conditions; IV team; CLABSI interventions; CLABSI

prevention.

Background: Annually approximately 250, 000 CLABSIs occur in the U.S. (Maki, 2006). The

cost of treating CLABSI is between $26,000 and $75,000 in the adult medical/surgical ICU

(Pittet, 1994, Shannon, 2006., Hollenbeak, 2011). These infections are a significant financial

burden to the hospitals, and the cost of managing CLABSI includes diagnosis and treatment,

prolonged hospital stay, and denial of reimbursement from third party payers (The Joint

Commission, 2012).

Study Design/Methodology: This was a retrospective, non-experimental, comparative study.

Eight years of already archived aggregated data for CLABSI (4 years of Pre and 4 years of post

IV team) was compared for the rates of CLABSI infection, cost of CLABSI, and cost of IV team.

The cost of CLABSI was determined based on various current literature and was compared with

the IV team member salaries and benefits.

Results: With the introduction of an IV team, there were 34 fewer CLABSIs over the four year

period with a 79.1% decrease in CLABSI. The overall cost saving for the institution was

$435,002 (31.3%), with 34 fewer central line associated bloodstream infections with the start of

the IV team. There was a consistent and sustained decrease in the CLABSI rate with the IV team.

Conclusion: The IV team provided a cost effective reduction in CLABSI by providing consistent

and standardized care for maintaining central lines post insertion. Healthcare costs continue to

rise. The reduction of hospital acquired infections lowers the overall hospital length of stay and

reduces the cost associated in treating these infections and hospitals’ risk management and legal

costs. Fewer infections will mean improving hospitals’ standing in their communities. Starting an

IV team to lower CLABSI is an important quality improvement initiative in hospitals with a

higher CLABSI rate.

v

Table of Contents

Chapter

1. Introduction ………………………………………………………………….. 1

2. Literature Review …………………………………………………………… 8

3. Methods ……………………………………………………………………… 14

4. Results ………………………………………………………………………... 18

5. Discussion ……………………………………………………………………. 24

References …………………………………………………………………………… 32

Appendices ………………………………………………………………………….. 38

A: Table 1- Pre IV team 1998 …………………………………………. 39

B: Table 2 – Pre IV team 1999 ………………………………………… 40

C: Table 3 – Pre IV team 2000 …………………………………………. 41

D: Table 4 – Pre IV team 2001 …………………………………………. 42

E: Chart 1 – Pre IV team 1998-2001 …………………………………… 43

F: Table 5 – Post IV team 2005 …………………………………………. 44

G: Table 6 – Post IV team 2006 …………………………………………. 45

H: Table 7 – Post IV team 2007 ………………………………………… 46

I: Table 8 – Post IV team 2008 ………………………………………… 47

J: Chart 2 – Post IV team 2005 – 2008 …………………………………… 48

K: Table 9 – Cost of IV team 2005-2008 ……………………………….. 49

L: Chart 3 – Pre and Post IV team ……………………………………… 50

M: Graph 1 ……………………………………………………………… 51

N: Graph 2 ………………………………………………………………. 52

1

CHAPTER 1

Introduction / Background

Central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) are deadly hospital acquired

infections with a reported mortality rate of 12-25%. One out of every 20 hospitalized patients

develops a hospital acquired condition (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2011). The financial

burden of CLABSI includes the cost incurred related to diagnosis, treatment, prolonged hospital

stays, and lack of third party reimbursement for the cost of treating CLABSI. Ever increasing

costs are of a great concern for everyone involved in healthcare delivery. CLABSI increases the

hospital length of stay by up to three weeks (Edgeworth, 2009; Rosenthal, 2003) and

significantly increases the financial burden to hospitals, costing hospitals $25,155 to $75,000

(DiGiovine, 1999; Dimick, 2001; Hollenbeak, 2011; Kilgore, 2008; Laupland, 2006; Shannon,

2006; Warren, 2006; Zack, 2008). From the historical perspective, Pittet (1994) was the first to

study the cost of central line related bloodstream infections in critically ill patients and has been

subsequently cited in most recent published studies.

Patients admitted to the hospital in today’s healthcare institutions are subject to many

invasive procedures, such as central venous catheter insertion for management of fluids,

medication administration, total parenteral nutrition and blood work. The central venous

catheters are an important access that helps promote critically ill patients to wellness, yet at the

same time puts the patients at risk of unintended consequences, mainly central line associated

bloodstream infections. In 2001, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in its report “Crossing the

Quality Chasm” wants hospitals and other acute care settings to improve the safety of their

patients and create a culture of safety. This study will examine the cost benefit of using a

2

dedicated team of nurses, often referred to as an intravenous therapy team (IV team), to prevent

infection resulting from central lines.

Central venous catheters are a necessity in the care of many critically and chronically ill

patients (Raad, 2007). The most commonly used access sites for central venous catheters

insertion are the subclavian vein, internal jugular vein, and the femoral vein. There are different

types of central venous catheters. Based on their design, central venous catheters can be any of

following: a) non tunneled catheter, b) tunneled central venous catheters, c) implantable ports,

and d) peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) (Maki, 2006; Raad, 2007). The non-

tunneled catheters are inserted into the subclavian, internal jugular or femoral vein over a guide

wire and advanced until they rest in the superior vena cava. These catheters are used for central

venous pressure monitoring, administration of intravenous fluids, total parenteral nutrition and

vasoactive medications (Joint Commission, 2012). The PICCS are inserted into a vein in the arm,

either the basilic vein, brachial vein or cephalic vein. The PICC lines are being increasingly used

for short term as well as long-term intravenous therapy. PICC lines used for long-term therapy

can remain in place up to a year, and the CDC recommends that PICCs be used instead of the

short peripheral catheters when the duration of therapy is likely to exceed more than six days

(Joint Commission, 2012). O’Grady (2011) recommends the use of PICC lines when the duration

of intravenous therapy will likely exceed six days. Associated with these central lines, central

line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) became a serious complication (Zingg, 2008).

The central venous catheters that are inserted percutaneously are routinely used for short-term

access and are generally safe and inexpensive. The major disadvantages are the need for a

physician to insert the catheter, full barrier precautions, and need for an external dressing on the

site and line maintenance, which pose a greater risk for infection (Joint Commission, 2012).

3

These central venous catheters account for a majority of central line associated bloodstream

infections (O’Grady, 2011).

The risk factors for CLABSI include a patient’s age, especially neonates and the elderly.

Pre-existing underlying conditions -- especially hematological, immunologic deficiencies,

cardiovascular diseases, and gastrointestinal diseases (Molle, 2011) -- and male gender have

been identified as factors associated with increased risk (Zingg, 2009). Some of the other risk

factors include prolonged hospitalization prior to the central line insertion, prolonged use of the

central line, total parenteral therapy, multiple central venous catheters, and lack of sterile barrier

during insertion, femoral and jugular accesses (O’Grady, 2011; Safdar, 2004).

The insertion site acts as a portal of entry and is often an important source of colonization with

various microorganisms. These pathogens can then easily migrate from the site to the catheter

tip. Another potential source for the portal of entry is the colonization of the catheter hub or the

port whereby pathogens travel along the catheter lumen to the blood stream. This migration of

pathogens most often occurs due to manipulation of the intravenous system, the intravenous

fluids and the catheter port itself (Joint Commission, 2012).

A central line associated blood stream infection is a primary blood stream infection in the

presence of a central line at the time of or within 48 hours prior to the onset of infection with no

other source of infection evident other than the central line. There is no minimum period of time

that the central line must be in place in order for the blood stream infection to be considered

central line associated according to the National Health Safety Network. For a CLABSI, the

patient has to have a recognized pathogen cultured from one or more blood cultures, and the

organism cultured from the blood is not related to an infection at another site. The patient will

have at least one of the following signs or symptoms: fever (temperature greater than 38 degree

4

centigrade), chills, or hypotension; signs and symptoms and positive laboratory results are not

related to an infection at another site, and common commensal is cultured from two or more

blood cultures drawn on separate occasions (Joint Commission, 2012).

The CLABSI data are collected and voluntarily reported to the national database.

Surveillance by using standard definitions for CLABSI is an important first step in identifying

the magnitude of CLABSI in U.S. hospitals and helps monitor and compare CLABSI rates from

hospital to hospital, state to state and region to region. CLABSI surveillance involves systematic

collection of the data, analyzing the collected data, and interpreting and disseminating the data to

the leadership and other members of the health care facility.

It is important that outcome measures are performed using standard, universal and

consistent methodology over time. According to Nation Healthcare Safety Network protocol, the

CLABSI rate per 1000 central line days is calculated by dividing the number of CLABSIs by the

number of central line days and multiplying by 1000 (CDC, 2012). In this calculation the central

line days and not patient days are used because not all patients are at risk for CLABSIs, as only

patients with central lines are at risk for CLABSI. It is important to have standardized definitions

as all hospital in United States are required to report their CLABSI rates to the Centers for

Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) via the National Healthcare Safety Network beginning

in 2011. This data was used for reimbursement from CMS to US hospitals starting in 2013 (Joint

Commission, 2012).

Scope of the Problem

Healthcare associated infections affect 5% of patients hospitalized in the United States

each year. Central line associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs) are important and deadly

hospital acquired infections, with a reported mortality rate of 12%–25% (CDC, 2012). The

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United States Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid

Services (2009) reports 75% of hospital acquired infections in the United States are due to four

types of infections: urinary tract infection (UTI), surgical site infection (SSI), bloodstream

infection (BSI) and pneumonia. These hospital acquired infections increase morbidity and

mortality and the cost of health care (Burke, 2003). Laupland (2006) reported that ICU patients

are at increased risk for in-hospital death. The financial burden of CLABSI includes costs related

to diagnosis, treatment, prolonged hospital stays, and lack of third party reimbursement for the

cost of treating CLABSI. CLABSI increases the hospital length of stay by up to three weeks

(Edgeworth, 2009; Rosenthal, 2003; Pittet, 1994) and increases the financial burden to hospitals,

costing hospitals $25,155 to $75,000 (DiGiovine, 1999; Dimick, 2001; Hollenbeak, 2011;

Kilgore, 2008; Laupland, 2006; Pittet, 1994; Shannon, 2006; Warren, 2006; Zack, 2008).

There has been a decrease in CLABSIs in recent years, showing some success of

implementing CLABSI bundles. A CLABSI bundle is one of the important strategies in

preventing CLABSI wherein the interventions are grouped together based on evidence based

practices. According to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI, 2006), a central line

bundle consists of five key components: hand hygiene, maximum sterile barrier precautions

(which include use of cap, mask, sterile gown, gloves and full sterile body drape for insertion),

chlorhexidine skin antisepsis, optimal catheter insertion site selection and daily review of line

necessity with prompt removal of unnecessary lines. Despite implementing bundles, CLABSIs

persist as an important patient safety issue. Bundles provide a false sense of security of

decreasing CLABSI rates (Harnage, 2008).

Under the new guidelines from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS),

there will be decreased or no reimbursement from CMS and/or third party payers (Joint

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Commission, 2012) for central line associated bloodstream infections. Therefore, there is an

urgent need for zero tolerance for central line associated blood stream infections (Marra, 2010;

Zack, 2008). Central line associated bloodstream infections are not just a nursing issue, but a

problem associated with a care delivery process which will require a multidisciplinary

intervention.

These data support expenditure on intravenous therapy teams and infection prevention

and control programs (Brunelle, 2003; Harnage, 2008; Holzman, 2012; Royer, 2010). An

intravenous therapy team is an investment rather than an expense. A business case can be made

for implementing intravenous therapy teams to provide safe and cost effective care and achieve

zero central line associated blood stream infections (Yokoe, 2008).

Intended improvement or change

At a suburban community hospital in northern New Jersey, an intravenous therapy team

of dedicated nurses was implemented to provide central line maintenance to

decrease the central line associated blood stream infections. There is limited data on the

use of an IV team. The issue with the use of an IV team to prevent CLABSIs is unresolved

(Marschall, 2008; Pronovost, 2006). The study will look at the financial benefit of achieving a

reduction in or elimination of central line associated infection with the implementation of IV

team. This study will provide administrators, healthcare executives and practitioners in acute

care settings evidence that will help decrease central line associated blood stream infections and

improve patient safety and quality of care as well as promote a cost savings.

Study question – PICOT / hypothesis

Hospitalized patients are at increased risk of developing healthcare associated infections.

Patients with central venous catheters or a central line are susceptible to central line associated

7

bloodstream infection with 12-25% mortality (Joint Commission 2012). The purpose of this

project is to determine the financial implication of achieving zero central line associated blood

stream infections with implementation of an IV team. What is the cost benefit ratio of an IV team

that achieves zero central line associated blood stream infections?

The Null Hypothesis is that there is no financial benefit for a designated IV team relative

to central line associated blood stream infection rate.

Research question

Is an IV team cost effective in lowering CLABSI rates? The study will look at the cost of

central line associated blood stream infections over the eight-year period pre IV team and post

IV team. The data will also be collected on salaries and benefits of the IV team personnel over

four years.

8

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

Electronic databases such as CINAHL, Cochrane library, Google Scholar, Medline, and

Up to Date were used to identify reports, publications and research related to the hospital costs

where central line associated bloodstream infections occur. In this review, literature search

technique, studies related to the cost of CLABSI and the impact of an IV team in reducing

hospitals’ cost will be presented.

Search Methods

For this chapter an extensive review was undertaken. The search was conducted using the

following Key words and various combinations of the key terminology, namely: central venous

catheters; central lines; central line associated bloodstream infections; hospital acquired

infections; cost benefit analysis of CLABSI; economics of HAI; hospital acquired conditions; IV

team; CLABSI interventions; CLABSI prevention;

Review

Hospital acquired infections affect hundreds of millions of patients annually worldwide

(World Health Organization, 2010). Healthcare associated infections affect 5% of hospitalized

individuals in the United States. Of these, over 80,000 are bloodstream infections (BSI) related

to the use of central venous catheters or the central lines (CDC, 2002) with the projected

CLABSI rate of 9.2 per 1000 device days according to the International Consortium on

Nosocomial Infection Control (Rosenthal, 2008). There are estimated to be 28,000 deaths per

year associated with these bloodstream infections (O’Grady, 2002), and the CDC (2012) reports

a 12-25% mortality in individuals with central line associated blood stream infections.

9

According to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (2009), billions of dollars in

healthcare cost and many deaths are related to hospital-acquired conditions. The Hospital

Consumer Assessments of Healthcare Providers and Systems, commonly referred to as HCAPS,

is administered to hospital inpatients as a part of a patient satisfaction survey after discharge

from all hospitals. The survey reflects the care received during the hospital stay. According to

CMS, hospitals will no longer be reimbursed for additional cost to care for hospital-acquired

conditions (CMS, 2009). This new cut and reduction in reimbursement will have serious

consequences to the financial health of healthcare facilities. Use of central lines results in 80,000

CLABSIs per year, with $34,000 to $85,137 in additional healthcare cost (CDC, 2002;

Darouiche, 2001; DiGiovine, 1999; Hollenbeak, 2011; Laupland, 2006; Pittet, 1994; Shannon,

2006).

Hollenbeak (2011) reviewed seven published studies that reported on the cost of central

line associated bloodstream infections. The studies reviewed looked at the attributable cost that

directly relates to the infection. The attributable cost is calculated from the increased length of

stay and treatment. The Hollenbeak study looked at different populations and different study

designs and used different statistical methods. Hollenbeak (2011) found that the costs were

remarkably similar among the studies despite the different study populations and designs.

However, the surgical ICU patient costs were generally higher than the medical ICU, ranging

from $54,000 - $75,000.

Shannon (2006) looked at net operating margin for the patients whose care was

complicated with CLABSI, and compared the revenue expense and net operating margins of

patients with and without CLABSI. The authors compared costs before and after the patients

were diagnosed with CLABSI. The authors found that the actual cost due to CLABSI averaged

10

$40,179 (43.8%) of the total cost of hospitalization when compared to cases matched for age,

severity group and principle DRG but not complicated with CLABSI. In 54 patients that they

looked at whose care was complicated with CLABSI, the average payment for a case

complicated with CLABSI was $64,894, and the average expense was $91,733. The hospital

experienced on average a loss of $26,885 per patient. This negative impact of loss of revenue

was due to the treatment of CLABSI.

Kilgore and Brosette (2008) conducted a study from 2001-2006 involving 55 hospitals

participating in Cardinal Health/MEd mined in Birmingham, Alabama. They obtained the cost of

matching laboratory data with hospital accounting systems. In this study, the authors looked at

1,355,647 admissions in 55 participating hospitals. Of these, 12,578 (21%) were identified as

bloodstream infections that showed an associated attributable cost of $19,643. The significance

of this study was that they had a large sample size with 55 participating hospitals that provided

greater accuracy. The hospitals participating were not a representative sample for the country.

This study supports that the bloodstream infections involve additional cost for the care.

Therefore, preventing bloodstream infections will help boost the economic health for the

hospitals and healthcare facilities.

Warren (2006) conducted a prospective study at a nonteaching hospital in a medical and

surgical intensive care unit from January 19, 1998 to July 31, 2000 for occurrence of CLABSIs.

The objective of the study was to determine the attributable cost and length of stay of ICU from

CLABSI. They collected the data on the hospital costs from the accounting database. During this

study period there were 41 CLABSIs of the 1,132 patients, with the CLABSI rate of 3.6 per 1000

catheter days. Patients with CLABSI had a total hospital cost of $83,544 versus 23,803 with p <

0.001. Controlling for other factors, the attributable cost of CLABSI was $11,871.

11

Dimick (2001) in their prospective cohort study looked at increased resource use associated with

CLABSI in the surgical ICU. The authors estimate increases in total hospital cost, ICU cost,

hospital days, and ICU days attributable to CLABSI. The CLABSI rate was 3.6 per 1000 catheter

days, with an increase of $56,617 in total hospital cost and an increase of $71,443 in ICU cost, a

22 day increase hospital length of stay and 20 day increase in ICU stay. Based on this they

conclude, “For critically ill surgical patients, catheter related bloodstream infection is associated

with increased use of resources.”

The attributable cost of CLABSIs varies according to Stone (2002). In their systematic

review, they attribute CLABSI cost to be $9,969. Anderson (2007) differs in their estimates of

attributable cost. They gave a higher weight to estimates from the larger studies with an

estimated CLABSI cost of $25,072. Hu (2004) developed a range of estimates for CLABSI cost

of as low as $5,734 and as high as $22,939 based on the 2003-dollar figure.

Miller believes the recent decrease in CLABSI cases to be attributed to the

implementation of CLABSI bundles (Miller, 2012; Provonost, 2006). CLABSIs are a

preventable hospital acquired condition. Implementation of bundles and apart from the use of

antibiotic coated catheters, multimodal strategies to decrease central line associated bloodstream

infections is a successful strategy (Torres, 2007). There is limited data on the use of an

intravenous therapy (IV team) to decrease blood stream infections. The issue with the use of an

IV team to prevent CLABSI is unresolved (Marschall, 2008; Provonost, 2006).

Meier (1998) examined the benefits of a professional, dedicated intravenous therapy team

by comparing the trends in nosocomial bloodstream infections before and after such a team was

established. The study was done at a veterans’ administration medical center, a 198 bed federal

hospital that provided care for 6,300 veterans each year. In March 1992, a specialized IV team

12

was initiated with 11 registered nurses on the team and started to place peripheral IVs,

maintained IV catheters and replaced catheters regularly every 72 hours. In addition, the IV team

nurses also inserted PICC lines, performed central line dressing changes and provided staff

education on IV therapy. After the implementation of the IV team, the infection rate decreased

by 35% to 0.7 infections per 1000 patient days. Even though they had a decrease in infections,

the IV team was not cost effective. The excess cost of the IV team was $252,000 per year. The

limitations were that the use of the IV team was not randomly assigned, and was not adjusted to

severity of illness, which could have influenced the results. If the researcher used the cost figures

as Pettit (1994) reported in their study, the IV team would have resulted in a net cost saving for

the institution. If they had fewer RNs on their IV team, personnel cost would go down with

improved economic benefit.

Holzmann (2012) came to a similar conclusion in their study of a line maintenance team

with reduction of CLABSI in a neonatal intensive care unit. In their study design, Holzmann

used National Healthcare Safety Network definitions. CLABSI rates were determined before and

after implementation of the line team. The data analysis was performed by two-portion t test. The

pre-intervention overall CLABSI rate was 11.6 per 1000 line days as compared to 4.0 per 1000

line days after intervention. Overall CLABSI decreased by 65% after the implementation of the

line team. This decreased infection rate was sustained over time. The dedicated team of nurses,

often referred to as an IV team or line maintenance, provided consistent care day in and day out

without compromising infection control practices, which led to a consistent and sustained

decrease in CLABSI (Holzman, 2012).

Brunelle (2003) in her prevalence research study on the impact of a dedicated infusion

therapy team on the reduction of catheter related nosocomial infection reported a decrease in

13

central line associated blood stream infection by instituting an IV team for maintenance of

central venous catheters, including dressing changes, assisting with infusion therapy and

educating the staff.

Other studies (Harnage, 2008; Royer, 2010) using an IV team/line maintenance

team/vascular access team have demonstrated a decrease in CLABSIs. Reduction in CLABSI

alone, which is one of the top 20 priorities for national action (Institute of Medicine, 2003),

justifies institution of these teams to manage all vascular access needs and IV therapy.

14

CHAPTER 3

METHODS

Research Design

A retrospective, non-experimental comparative study will be conducted in which

aggregated data using a quantitative evaluation of the number of CLABSIs will be collected from

the epidemiology department. The cost of CLABSI pre and post IV team will be determined

using available financial data from the finance department and the literature. The IV team

nurses’ salaries and benefits will be obtained from the nursing administration and human

resources.

Setting

The setting for this study is a 250-bed non-teaching community hospital located in

Denville, a suburban town of Morris County in northwest New Jersey. This hospital has one 22

bed medical surgical ICU, a 42 bed progressive care unit, a 42 bed acute care for the elderly

(medical floor), and a 40 bed surgical unit.

Sample

 Aggregated data on number of CLABSI will be collected from the epidemiology

department.

 Cost of CLABSI will be determined using the available literature

 IV team salaries and benefits will be obtained from the Nursing Administration.

15

Data Collection

Definition

A central line associated blood stream infection is a primary blood stream infection in

the presence of a central line at the time of or within 48 hours prior to the onset of infection with

no other source of infection evident other than the central line. There is no minimum period of

time that the central line must be in place in order for the blood stream infection to be considered

central line associated. An infection must meet one of the following criteria:

Criterion 1: Patient has a recognized pathogen cultured from one or more blood cultures

and organism cultured from blood is not related to an infection at another site.

Criterion 2: Patient has at least one of the following signs or symptoms: fever

(temperature > than 38 degree centigrade), chills, or hypotension, and signs and symptoms and

positive laboratory results are not related to an infection at another site and common commensal

is cultured from two or more blood cultures drawn on separate occasions (Garner,1998).

When a patient developed a fever greater than 38.3 degree centigrade or suspected

bacteremia, and/or sepsis, blood samples were routinely obtained for cultures and other tests to

establish bacteremia and infection. The date of the first reported positive blood culture was

considered the date of CLABSI. CLABSI was considered nosocomial when the culture was first

reported positive, 48 hours after the hospitalization (Garner, 1998). An index case was defined as

a hospitalized patient with a central line and nosocomial bloodstream infection 48 hours after

hospitalization.

Case finding

The department of epidemiology did a prospective case finding surveillance. The Nurse

Epidemiologist from the department of Epidemiology performed a surveillance of positive blood

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culture results from the microbiology laboratory. The nurse epidemiologist then reviewed the

patient’s chart to determine the clinical significance of the positive blood cultures to ascertain

whether the positive blood cultures were nosocomial or community acquired and the origin of

the infection and identified index cases of CLABSI. The retrospective aggregated data was

searched for all the hospitalized patients with confirmed nosocomial CLABSI.

It is important that outcome measures are performed using standard, universal and

consistent methodology over time. According to Nation Healthcare Safety Network protocol, the

CLABSI rate per 1,000 central line days is calculated by dividing the number of CLABSIs by the

number of central line days and multiplying by 1,000 (CDC, 2012). In this calculation the central

line days and not patient days are used because not all patients are at risk for CLABSIs, as only

patients with central lines are at risk for CLABSI. It is important to have standardized definitions

as all hospitals in the United States are required to report their CLABSI rates to the Centers for

Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) via National the Healthcare Safety Network beginning

in 2011. This is the standard method that all healthcare facilities use to calculate the infection

rate and report to various regulatory agencies.

The data on the number of CLABSIs were aggregated from the previously collected data

from the Department of Epidemiology for the all the years in the study before and after the start

of the IV team. This data of number of infections were used as a numerator for calculating the

rate. Numerator is the number of times the event has occurred during the specific time interval.

For the denominator, the data on device days were used. There are three important aspects to the

denominator: a) the denominator must reflect the same population from which the numerator is

derived. In this study, this means all the patients with central line; b) a person in the denominator

17

should have been at risk for the event occurrence. Here it is all the patients with a central line; c)

the number in the numerator and denominator should come from the same time period.

The data on central line days, often referred to as device days, were prospectively collected by

the night supervisors daily after midnight as the number of patients with a central line before the

implementation of the IV team. The data on patient days was generated daily as the number of

hospitalized patients per day based on midnight census. The IV team collected the data on central

line days following implementation of the team.

The CLABSI rate was calculated with standard formula as per National Nosocomial

Infection Surveillance

Rate = number of CLABSI X 1000

Device days

The Cost of CLABSI was determined based on the data from the available literature and from the

literature review. The salaries and the benefit package for the IV team was obtained from the

nursing administration for four of the years in the study.

18

Chapter 4

Results

This chapter will present the results of the review of the archived data collected on

central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), and the cost of treating these infections

during the period of 1998-2001. Archived data were collected and analyzed for comparison for

the years 2005-2008 because the IV team was in effect at this time period. After this time

additional variables -- use of chlorhexidine sponges for dressing changes and use of the CLABSI

bundle -- were instituted and would not be equivalent years to compare and analyze. This chapter

will review the cost of CLABSI and the yearly salaries and benefits of the IV team nursing staff.

These data will answer the research question of cost effectiveness of the IV team in reducing

central line associated bloodstream infections. The associated cost of any healthcare associated

infections varies from one healthcare facility to another, from one region to another region and

from one country to another country. The healthcare facility specific data are not available. The

cost of CLABSI is estimated based on the region, size and designation of the hospital as teaching

or non-teaching hospital, and this information is compiled by institutions and used in the

statistical reference to CLABSI (Dunagan, 2002; Hollenbeak, 2012; Joint Commision, 2012;

Stone, 2005). The differences in the various financial institutions and systems in different

regions with no consistency in the methodology used by different researchers would make it very

difficult to quantify the actual cost of CLABSI.

For this study the cost of CLABSI was determined from the literature review

(Hollenbeak, 2012). Hollenbeak (2012), which looked at various hospitals by regions, teaching

and non-teaching, and size of the hospital: small, medium or large. Based on their study, the

19

average excess cost of treating CLABSI in a medium sized non-teaching hospital in the

Northeast region was identified as $32,199. This study was completed at a medium sized 250

bed, non-teaching hospital in northwest New Jersey. The cost identified by Hollenbeak (2012)

was applied. There were no patients identified in this study because it is an aggregate of data that

is compiled by the institution and individual patient information cannot be categorized; therefore,

patient confidentiality was not compromised.

The nurse epidemiologists collect information related to actual infection data. The nurses

use the data collection tool from the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) which is

modified to the hospital needs. No data regarding length of stay are required to be collected or

reported to NHSN and or Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CLABSIs are

acute events that happen in hospitalized patients who have central venous catheters or central

lines. With CLABSI being an acute event, there is a readmission issue as all triple lumen central

lines are removed before discharge.

During the pre-IV team period, in the first quarter of 1998, there were two central line

associated bloodstream infections, zero infections in the second quarter and the third quarter, and

three in the last quarter for a total of five CLABSIs for the year of 1998. The total cost associated

with these five infections for the year was $160,995 at an average cost of $32,199 (see Table 1).

In 1999, in the first quarter there were four CLABSI infections, zero infections in the second and

the third quarter, and two in the last quarter for a total of six central line associated bloodstream

infections. With the mean cost of $32,199, the total cost of these infections was $193,194 (see

Table 2).

In the year 2000, in the first quarter there was one central line associated bloodstream

infection, two infections in the second quarter, three in the third quarter and two infections in the

20

last quarter for a total of eight central line associated bloodstream infections. The total cost for

these infections was $257,592 (see Table 3) at an average cost of $32,199. In the year 2001, the

first quarter had four central line associated blood stream infections. There were five infections

in the second quarter with six infections in the third quarter. The last quarter had nine infections

for a total of 24 central line associated bloodstream infections. The total cost for these infections

was $772,776 (see Table 4) at an average cost of $32,199. There were three times more

CLABSIs in the year 2001 than the previous year, and so 2001 accounted for 55.8% of the total

cost of CLABSIs in the four year period before the IV team.

During the pre-IV team period from 1998-2001, there were 43 documented central line

associated bloodstream infections. The total cost of CLABSIs pre-IV team was estimated to be

$1,388,457 as shown in Table 5.

In 1996, the institution merged with another community hospital, and following the

merger, the IV team was eliminated and the IV nurses were reassigned to other areas in the

hospital. The IV team was reinstituted in 2002. The IV nurses who were previously educated and

nationally certified as IV therapy nurses were reinstituted as the IV team. Following the

introduction of the IV team, the central line associated bloodstream infection data post IV team

was collected for the study periods of 2005-2008.

The IV team was the only variable difference at this time. In 2002, antibiotic coated

catheters were instituted for the insertion of central lines and the IV team was initiated to

maintain and to perform post insertion care for these central lines. In 2003 and 2004, due to lack

of support to utilized antibiotic coated catheters from general surgeons, they were discontinued

in the middle of 2004. The hospital reinstituted the use of the non-coated Arrow Guard catheters.

The dressing kits did not change during the study period. In 2009, the central line dressing kits

21

were changed to include chlorhexidine sponges to clean the catheter site. In 2010, the Institute of

Healthcare Initiative CLABSI bundle was initiated, and central line insertion kits were purchased

that were custom made for the hospital to include full barrier drape, sterile gown and gloves, and

a chlorhexidine sponge. These were the two other variables that were added later; hence the

years of 2009 to 2013 are not included in the study period.

The IV team was implemented in 2002. Other than the salaries and benefits of the two

RNs, there was no startup cost for the implementation of an IV team. The two nurses who

worked previously in the IV team were reassigned to the IV team, with an average salary and

benefits of $82,958. The nurses were previously educated and employed as IV therapy nurses

before the IV team was eliminated. Both nurses are nationally certified in infusion therapy. There

was no cost involved for education and training.

After starting the IV team, in the year 2005, there were zero CLABSIs in the first quarter

and one infection in each of the next three quarters for a total of three infections in 2005. At an

average cost of $32,199 per CLABSI, the total cost of these three infections was $96,597 (see

Table 5). The cost of the IV team for the year 2005 was $168,896 (see Table 9).

In the year 2006, the first, second and the third quarters had zero CLABSIs, while the two

infections were recorded for the last quarter for a total of 2 infections for the year 2006. The total

cost for these two infections was $64,398 at an average cost of $32,199 (see Table 6). The total

cost of the IV team for the year 2006 was $149,408 (see Table 9). The average cost of the IV

team was $74,704. The annual cost of the IV team for 2006 was lower than any of the four years

in the study. For 12 weeks, there was only one IV team nurse; hence the total cost was less than

the previous year.

22

For the year 2007, in the first quarter there were no infections, while the second, third and

the last quarter had one infection each respectively for a total of 3 CLABSIs. The total cost of

these three infections was $96,597 (see Table 7) at an average cost of $32,199. The cost of the

IV team for the year 2007 was $172,266 (see table 9) with average salary and benefit of $86,133.

For the year 2008, the first, second and the third quarters had zero infections while the fourth

quarter had one CLABSI for a total of one infection. The total cost for the one CLABSI infection

was $32,199 (see Table 8). The cost of the IV team for the year 2008 was $173,094 (see Table 9)

with an average cost of $86, 547. There were a total of nine CLABSIs during the time period

from 2005-2008. The cost associated with the nine CLABSIs was $289,791 (see chart 2) at an

average cost of $32,199. The cost of the IV team itself was $663,664 (see Table 9) with an

average yearly cost for two IV therapy nurses at $165,916. The number of infections decreased

by 79.1%, and the decrease in the cost associated with CLABSIs was 79.1% (see Chart3).

Cost Analysis:

The hospital IV team consisted of two full-time registered nurses as their staff. The nurses

in the IV team worked 40 hours a week with no overtime. The registered nurses were

experienced nurses who previously worked as IV nurses and were nationally certified in IV

therapy. The responsibilities of the IV team nurses included maintenance of the central line post

insertion. The post insertion care involved dressing changes, blood draws, and starting total

parenteral nutrition. The dressings were changed within 48 hours post insertion and weekly

thereafter. Other roles for the IV team included collection of data on central line days and

starting peripheral venous sites. Central line days, also commonly referred to as device days,

included all the patients with a central line on any given day. As an example, if there were 14

patients with central lines on a particular day, then the line days for that day are 14.

23

The first graph (appendix M) is a mixed line/bar graph for total cost and the number of

CLABSIs by years. Looking at the data, pre-IV team, the number of CLABSIs increased each

year, with 24 CLABSIs in 2001 alone, which was a threefold increase from the year 2000. Cost

was driven by the year 2001. The 24 CLABSIs in 2001 with the associated cost of $772,776 was

55.8% of the total cost of CLABSIs pre-IV team.

In the post-IV team years, the central line associated bloodstream infections decreased by

79.1% from 43 to 9 with the difference of 34 (see Chart 3). The cost of CLABSIs also decreased

by 79.1% from $1,388,457 to $289,791 with the difference of $1,098,660 (see Chart 3). The cost

of having two fulltime equivalent RN positions on the IV team, including their salaries and

benefits, was $663,664 over the four year period. The average cost of the IV team per year was

$165,916 for the two RNs. The overall cost saving for the institution was $435,002 (31.3%) with

34 fewer central line associated bloodstream infections (see Chart 3, Graph 1 and Graph 2).

24

Chapter 5

This chapter provides a discussion on the interpretation of the results of this project in

relation to the impact of an IV team on the clinical practice environment in providing fiscally

competent care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the IV team in

decreasing the central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), thereby decreasing the

cost associated with the treatment of CLABSI. This chapter will address the Doctor of Nursing

Practice (DNP) essentials that are met by the study, implications, study limitations, future

research and conclusions of the study.

The research question was: “Is an IV team cost effective in decreasing central line

associated blood stream infections?”

Review of the project

This retrospective, non-experimental, comparative study assessed the financial

implications of a nursing IV team on reducing the number of central line associated bloodstream

infections in a suburban medical center. The data analysis was done using an evaluation of the

cost of central line associated bloodstream infections pre- and post-IV team implementation and

an evaluation of IV team salaries and benefits packages. Aggregated data on the number of

central line associated bloodstream infections and cost of central line associated bloodstream

infections pre-IV team between the years 1998-2001 were evaluated. The post-IV team data

between the years of 2005 and 2008 were analyzed for the number of central line associated

bloodstream infections and the cost of central line associated bloodstream infections and the cost

of IV team nurses, which included the salaries and benefits for the two nurses on the IV team.

25

Discussion

The results of this project demonstrated that the implementation of the IV team

effectively reduced yearly occurrence of central line associated bloodstream infections by 79.1

%. In 1998, there were 838 central line days, and this number fluctuated over the ten years of the

data collection. There were a total of 3558 central line days pre-IV team from 1998-2001, and

3772 days from 2005-2008 post-IV team. Despite the increased use of central lines in the post IV

team period, the number of central line infections decreased from 43 to 9. In 1998, a hospital was

reimbursed for hospital acquired infections and increased patient length of stay without any

penalties. In 2009, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) indicated that if a patient

developed a hospital acquired infection, namely central line associated bloodstream infection,

there would be no reimbursement going forward (CMS, 2009). Hospital acquired infections

(HAI’s) affect one out of every twenty hospitalized patients (CDC, 2011), and central line

associated bloodstream infections are one of the hospital acquired infections that commonly

occur and are highly associated with increased morbidity and mortality (CDC, 2011). Beginning

in 2011, all hospitals in the United States are required to report their central line associated

bloodstream infection rates to the National Healthcare Safety Network. These data are being

used for reimbursement from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to US hospitals

starting in 2013 (Joint Commission, 2012).

Based upon the results of the evaluation of the data collected in this study, the focus was

on the role of the IV team in reducing cost associated with central line associated bloodstream

infections. The results show that the dedicated team of nurses whose sole responsibility was to

maintain care for the central lines post insertion achieved a decrease in the central line associated

26

bloodstream infection rate there and decreased the cost for caring for patients with central line

associated bloodstream infections.

Post insertion maintenance care for central lines requires meticulous details. The care is

complex and needs a great deal of time and effort. Providing consistent care post insertion is the

key. The IV team nurses provided that consistency on a daily basis, which untrained registered

nurses could not provide due to multiple patient responsibilities. The success of the IV team in

reducing the central line associated bloodstream infection rate, and thereby cost, is multifactorial.

Many previous studies (Brunelle 2003; Holzmann 2012) have demonstrated the role of an IV

team in reducing bloodstream infections. Brunelle (2003) reported a decrease in central line

associated bloodstream infections by instituting an IV team for maintenance of central venous

catheters, including dressing changes, assisting with infusion therapy and educating the staff.

Holzman (2012) came to a similar conclusion with reduction of central line associated

bloodstream infections in a neonatal intensive care unit. Overall, the central line related

bloodstream infections decreased by 65%, and thus the cost associated with the infections also

decreased. They demonstrated a consistent and sustained decrease in central line associated

bloodstream infections. This study also is consistent with their findings. The reduction in the

central line associated bloodstream infection rate has been consistently maintained and is below

the national level throughout the post-IV team period and continues to be low.

DNP essentials:

In this practice focused doctoral education there is a scholarly approach and commitment

to the profession for its future, advancement and standing in the arena of today’s health care

delivery. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) curriculum as visualized by the American

Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has two components, one of which is the eight

27

essentials that look at foundational outcome competencies that are necessary for the all graduates

of a Doctor of Nursing Practice program regardless of specialization or focus. This study met

five of the eight essentials established by AACN for DNP education. These five essentials were

1) Scientific underpinnings for practice, 2) Organizational and systems leadership for quality

improvement and systems thinking, 3) Clinical scholarship and analytical methods for evidence

based practice, 6) Inter-professional collaboration for improving patient and population health

outcomes, and 7) Clinical prevention and population health for improving the nation’s health

(AACN, 2006).

Essential 1: The nursing actions and processes through scientific underpinning for practice

affecting positive changes. The study found that the process change, a new practice approach by

instituting dedicated team of nurses (IV team) and nursing actions by an IV team had a positive

effect on the central line associated bloodstream infections.

Essential II: Organizational and systems leadership to improve patient and healthcare

outcomes. This study demonstrated that when a dedicated team of nurses provides care of central

lines, there is a decrease in central line associated bloodstream infections, leading to improved

patient and healthcare outcomes and patient safety.

Essential III: Clinical scholarship and analytical methods for evidence based practice. One of

the top twenty priorities for United States health is to prevent central line associated bloodstream

infections. This study has demonstrated that an IV team can decrease the central line associated

bloodstream infection rate and be cost effective. The data from the study will be presented to the

Research Evaluation Committee, Executive Leadership and the Board of Directors.

28

Essential VI: Interprofessional collaboration for improving patient and population health

outcomes. Today’s healthcare delivery is multimodal and complex. Hospitals depend upon

highly skilled and knowledgeable healthcare professionals to provide safe, efficient and patient-

centered care. This study demonstrated that highly skilled and knowledgeable IV team nurses

improved patient outcomes for the patient population with central lines.

Essential VII: Clinical prevention and population health for improving the nation’s health.

The clinical prevention activities are central to achieving the national goal of improving the

health status of the population of the country. Prevention of central line associated bloodstream

infections was identified as one of the top 20 national priorities in Institute of Medicine report

(2003). The implementation of an IV team was instrumental in decreasing central line infections

and thereby preventing deadly hospital acquired infections in a specific population at risk for

central line associated bloodstream infections (AACN, 2006).

Implications of the study

The purpose of this study was to look at cost effective ways of preventing central line

associated infections. Hospitalized patients who are critically ill are at a higher risk for

developing hospital acquired infections. The cost associated with central line associated

bloodstream infections includes those related to diagnosis and management, increased length of

stay and moving forward, and lack of third party payment for the cost of treating central line

associated blood stream infections. Quantifying the cost of central line associated bloodstream

infection is complex. The cost of central line associated bloodstream infections varies from

region to region and from different types and sizes of hospitals (Hollenbeak, 2012). It is

important to have a good and reliable surveillance to understand the costs associated with central

29

line associated bloodstream infection. There is increasing demand for infection prevention and

control programs that are cost effective. A business case for prevention of central line associated

bloodstream infection is made to the leadership of the organization who make economic

decisions. Most administrators and executive leadership at the highest level are involved in

containing the cost of healthcare and weigh the benefits of additional investments in infection

prevention. “It is easier to quantify the cost of intervention than their benefits or cost savings as a

result of hospital acquired infections avoided” (The Joint Commission, 2012 page 106).

It is advantageous for the hospital to lower the hospital acquired infections, including

central line associated bloodstream infections as they can be and are life threatening. Lowering

central line associated bloodstream infections might help in lowering the hospitals’ risk

management and legal costs (The Joint Commission, 2012). The Centers for Disease Control and

the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America in their practice recommendation for

prevention of central line associated bloodstream infections recommend implementation of a

central line insertion checklist, use of chlorhexidine, dressing changes and daily assessment of

the need for central line use and prompt removal of the central lines when not required. These

evidence based central line insertion and maintenance bundles have decreased central line

associated bloodstream infections, although central line associated bloodstream infections still

occur. Using these bundles and instituting IV teams to maintain lines post insertion will further

help lower central line associated bloodstream infections. The use of an IV team as demonstrated

in this study is cost effective in lowering central line associated bloodstream infections.

30

Limitations

There were limitations to this study. This study used a single, midsize, non-teaching

community hospital. This study was a retrospective study; the study used already existing

archived data that did not identify a patient’s admitting diagnosis. The study could not identify

other contributing factors that may have had an impact on central line associated bloodstream

infection rates, the associated cost as well as any mortality, co-morbid conditions and the impact

of the severity of illness. The data of this study cannot be generalized; in order to generalize the

findings, additional prospective multi-centric studies are needed.

Recommendation for Research in the future

In this retrospective study, the data collection was limited. A prospective multi-centric

study with a defined standardized role for an IV team would be beneficial where patient data

regarding admitting diagnosis, comorbidities and length of stay and actual cost and outcome data

would be collected.

Conclusion

Healthcare costs continue to rise, with nurses functioning as the first line of defense for

the identification of patients at risk for hospital acquired infections. This study of a two nurse IV

team in a 250 bed suburban hospital demonstrated the efficacy of this IV team to decrease central

line associated bloodstream infections in hospitalized patients with central lines. The reduction

of hospital acquired infections lowers the overall hospital length of stay and reduces the cost

associated in treating these infections and hospitals’ risk management and legal costs. Fewer

infections will mean happier patients and healthier families, thereby improving hospitals’

standing in their communities. Utilization of nurses in specific roles that are focused on reducing

31

healthcare associated infections while continuing to provide patient centered holistic and fiscally

competent care can benefit the patient and the healthcare facility. Evaluating each of the

outcomes of nursing interventions and comparing them to regional and national averages will

allow each facility to reach its highest level of patient care.

32

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Appendices

39

Appendix A: Table 1 Pre IV team 1998

Year 1998 Number of CLABSI Cost of CLABSI in $

Quarter 1 2 64,398

Quarter 2 0 0

Quarter 3 0 0

Quarter 4 3 96,597

Total 5 162,995

________________________________________________________________________

40

Appendix B: Table 2 Pre IV team 1999

Year 1999 Number of CLABSI Cost of CLABSI in $

Quarter 1 4 128, 796

Quarter 2 0 0

Quarter 3 0 0

Quarter 4 2 64,398

Total 6 195,094

________________________________________________________________________

41

Appendix C: Table 3 Pre IV team 2000

Year 2000 Number of CLABSI Cost of CLABSI in $

Quarter 1 1 32,199

Quarter 2 2 64,398

Quarter 3 3 96,597

Quarter 4 2 64,398

Total 8 257,602

42

Appendix D: Table 4 Pre IV team 2001

Year 2001 Number of CLABSI Cost of CLABSI in $

Quarter 1 4 32,199

Quarter 2 5 162,995

Quarter 3 6 195,094

Quarter 4 9 289,791

Total 24 772,776

________________________________________________________________________

43

Appendix E: Chart 1 Pre IV team 1998 - 2001

Year Number of CLABSI Cost of CLABSI in $

________________________________________________________________________

1998 5 160,995

1999 6 193,194

2000 8 257,592

2001 24 772,796

Total 43 1,384,557

________________________________________________________________________

44

Appendix F: Table 5 Post IV team 2005

Year 20006 Number of CLABSI Cost of CLABSI in $

Quarter 1 0 0

Quarter 2 1 32,199

Quarter 3 1 32,199

Quarter 4 1 32,199

Total 3 96,597

________________________________________________________________________

45

Appendix G: Table 6 Post IV team 2006

Year 2006 Number of CLABSI Cost of CLABSI in $

Quarter 1 0 0

Quarter 2 0 0

Quarter 3 0 0

Quarter 4 2 64,398

Total 2 64,398

________________________________________________________________________

46

Appendix H: Table 7 Post IV team 2007

Year 2007 Number of CLABSI Cost of CLABSI in $

________________________________________________________________________

Quarter 1 0 0

Quarter 2 1 32,199

Quarter 3 1 32,199

Quarter 4 1 32,199

Total 3 95,597

________________________________________________________________________

47

Appendix I: Table 8 Post IV team 2008

Year 2008 Number of CLABSI Cost of CLABSI in $

Quarter 1 0 0

Quarter 2 0 0

Quarter 3 0 0

Quarter 4 1 32,199

Total 1 32,199

________________________________________________________________________

48

Appendix J: Chart 2 Post IV team 2005-2008

Year Number of CLABSI Cost of CLABSI in $

________________________________________________________________________

2005 3 96,597

2006 2 64,398

2007 3 96,597

2008 1 32,199

Total 9 287,791

________________________________________________________________________

49

Appendix K: Table 9 Cost of IV team 2005-2008

Year Cost of IV team

_______________________________________________

2005 $168,896

2006 $149,408

2007 $172,266

2008 $173,099

_____________________________________________

Total $663,664

______________________________________________

50

Appendix L: Chart 3: Pre and Post IV team

Pre IV team Post IV team Difference Percent

_____________________________________________________________________

# CLABSI 43 9 34 79.1

Cost of CLABSI 1,384,557 289,791 1,074,996 79.1

Cost of IV team NA 663,664 663,664 NA

Total Cost 1,384,557 953,455 431,102 31.1

51

Appendix M: Graph 1

$160,995 $193,194

$257,592

$772,776

$265,493 $213,806

$268,863 $205,293

5 6 8

24

3 2 3 1 $-

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

$900,000

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1998 1999 2000 2001 2005 2006 2007 2008

Pre - IV team Post IV Team

# B

S I

Pre - IV Team (1998 - 2001) & Post - IV Team (2005 - 2008)

Total Cost and Number of BSI By Years

Total Cost

# BSI

52

Appendix N: Graph 2

$1,384,557

$953,455 43

9

$- $200,000 $400,000 $600,000 $800,000 $1,000,000 $1,200,000 $1,400,000 $1,600,000

0

10

20

30

40

50

Pre - IV team (1998-2001)

Post IV Team (2005-2008)

# o

f B

S I

Pre - IV Team (1998 - 2001) & Post - IV Team (2005 - 2008)

Total Cost and Number of BSI

Total Cost

Total # of BSI