Assessing the effect of implementing a central line care bundle on central line-associated bloodstream infections in a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia

Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are severe bloodstream infections caused by catheter use and are often associated with a longer hospital stay, increased healthcare costs, and a higher mortality rate. However, catheter-related blood stream infections can be successfully treated. It is essential that healthcare workers are aware of central line (CL) insertion and maintenance bundles to reduce and prevent the incidence of CLABSI. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of implementing CL care bundles on hospital-wide CLABSI incidence rates. This is a prospective study conducted at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Saudi Arabia from January 2017 to December 2021. The research period was divided into two phases: the pre-intervention phase (January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2018) and the post-intervention phase (January, 2019 to December 31, 2020). During both phases, outcome variables, including CLABSI rate, were assessed. In the present study, the total number of CLABSIs is 439, of which 266 were in the pre-intervention phase and 173 were in the post-intervention phase. The overall CLABSI rate significantly decreased from 1.6 +/- 0.05 in the pre-intervention phase to 0.9 +/- 0.05 in the post- intervention phase. This decline in CLABSI was significant (p<0.0001) across all hospital settings, including critical care and non-critical care units. The implementation of care bundles is essential and has been shown to significantly reduce CLABSI rates in nearly all participating units.