Reorganization of nutritional therapy can markedly reduce the rate of catheter-related blood stream infections in pediatric patients receiving parenteral nutrition – a 7-year prospective follow-up study.

Background: Implementation of hygienic measures and simple changes in the structure of medical team may considerably reduce the rate of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) in parenterally nourished patients. Aim: To analyze the effects of organizational changes in parenteral nutrition services on the CRBSI rates in pediatric patients. Methods: We compared the CRBSI rates documented prior to, during and after the implementation of the organizational changes (introduction of a nutritional support team and related procedures, medical staff training). Findings: A total of 260 courses of parenteral nutrition were offered to 141 pediatric patients during the analyzed period. Thirty CRBSIs were documented during this period. The most frequent etiological factors were staphylococci (21/30), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans (2/30 each). The reorganization was reflected by more than 8-fold reduction of the CRBSI incidence rate: from the initial value of 10.14 to 6.89 per 1000 catheter days and 1.17 per 1000 catheter days during and after the reorganization, respectively. Conclusion: Introduction of a nutritional support team, accompanied by extensive training of medical staff, can result in a marked reduction of CRBSI rate in pediatric patients nourished parenterally in a hospital setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]