Volume 7, Number 2—April 2001
THEME ISSUE
4th Decennial International Conference on Nosocomial and Healthcare-Associated Infections
Introduction
The Impact of Hospital-Acquired Bloodstream Infections
Richard P. Wenzel
and Michael B. Edmond
and Michael B. EdmondTable 2
Central venous catheter technology and nosocomial bloodstream infections and deaths
| CVCa-related | remaining if new | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Attributable | deaths from | catheters prevent | No. of lives |
| Â mortality rate (%) | bloodstream infectionsb | 45% of deaths | saved |
| 15 | 10,500 | 5,755 | 4,745 |
| 20 | 14,000 | 7,700 | 6,300 |
| 25 | 17,500 | 9,625 | 7,875 |
| 30 | 21,000 | 11,550 | 9,450 |
aCVC = Central venous catheter.
bAssumptions in this analysis: 200,000 bloodstream infections/year, 35% attributed to CVCs, 45% prevented with antibiotic-bonded catheters. Previous studies showed 175,000-350,000 nosocomial bloodstream infections/yr, 70% of which were related to central venous catheters; 90% of central venous catheter-related bloodstream infections prevented with antibiotic bonded catheters (11).
