SCCM Pod-62 Simple Measures Can Decrease Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infections

Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD, FCCM, discusses his article published in the December 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, titled "An Intervention to Decrease Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infections in the ICU." Dr. Pronovost and researchers showed through this study that simple measures, such as hand washing, can have a dramatic effect in reducing bloodstream infections. They focused on improved teamwork between doctors, nurses and other intensive care unit professionals, collecting data from 103 Michigan hospitals for up to 18 months. The reference for this article is NEJM 2006 Volume 355, Number 26:2725-2732.