Care bundles alone do not significantly reduce CLABSI rates; outdated materials like polyurethane and silicone may foster infections, despite compliance

Improved compliance to central line care bundles alone may not be strong enough to significantly reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) rates and the other factors unrelated to bundle compliance may have also influenced CLABSI occurrence” … Dr. David Odada, BMC Infectious Diseases, 23, Article number 745(20232).

What are central line insertion care bundles according to Dr. Odada?

“Compliance with hand hygiene before central line insertion, maximum barrier by staff while performing central line insertion, using a sterile drape on the insertion site, use of alcohol and chlorhexidine antiseptic for skin preparation, allowing the site to air dry, and the use of chlorhexidine-containing dressings.”

Greg Vigna, MD, JD, national pharmaceutical injury attorney, “Dr. Odada is correct that care bundles alone do not significantly reduce central-line associated bloodstream infections. There is another factor, which is the old, obsolete polyurethane and silicone materials that dominate the PICC line, central lines, and midlines market share. These materials inherently allow bacteria to stick onto the catheter tubing where they are free to multiply and spread into the blood causing sepsis.”

“Polyurethane and silicone PICC lines are defective products because there are safer materials that reduce the risk of infection, and these devices are making their way into the market. ” — Greg Vigna, MD, JD

Dr. Vigna continues, “Polyurethane and silicone PICC lines are defective products because there are safer materials that reduce the risk of infection, and these devices are making their way into the market. Shamefully this technology has been available for over a decade. Device manufacturers have chosen profits over patient safety and that is not acceptable.”

What is sepsis? Multiple organ damage from inflammation because of infection that may result in organ damage to the brain, kidney, heart, liver, and lung.

What is septic shock? A life-threatening condition that causes dangerously low blood pressure because of infection that may result in amputations of fingers and toes, brain damage, kidney failure, ventilator dependence, oxygen dependence, and nerve damage.

Dr. Vigna concludes, “We are investigating hospital-acquired bloodstream infections caused by PICC lines and other central lines caused by the old, outdated polyurethane and silicone designs. Sepsis and septic shock are serious complications from PICC lines and central lines that affect neonates, children, and adults of all ages. Hospital-acquired central line infections will take a patient off their expected trajectory of improvement to outcomes that are not acceptable.”

Dr. Vigna is a California and Washington DC lawyer who represents those with serious injuries caused by defective medical devices including PICC lines and Med-Ports that lead to sepsis. He represents the injured with the Ben Martin Law Group, a national pharmaceutical injury law firm in Dallas, Texas. The attorneys are product liability and medical malpractice attorneys, and they represent the most injured across the country.

Resources:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.2147/TCRM.S73379
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2052297520300238
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4537676/
https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-023-08744-5

Greg Vigna, MD, JD
Vigna Law Group
+1 800-761-9206
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