Ms Debie Crisologo1
1Monash Health, Australia
Biography:
Debie, a registered nurse with 16 years’ experience in Australia and the Philippines, has spent the past four years in Infection Prevention at Monash Health. Passionate about patient safety, she drives evidence-based strategies, promotes best practices, and supports knowledge sharing to reduce healthcare-associated infections and improve quality of care.
Abstract:
Background
Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs) are serious infections that can lead to patient morbidity and mortality, along with longer hospital stays. The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Monash Health Dandenong had maintained a CLABSI-free record for two years. However, between July and December 2024, five CLABSI cases were identified and reported. This prompted a thorough review of current practices, focusing on hand hygiene, aseptic technique, and adherence to Central Venous Access Device (CVAD) insertion and maintenance protocols.
Action
A detailed review of existing processes was carried out. This included audits on hand hygiene, aseptic technique, dressing application and compliance with the insertion and maintenance bundle, particularly the daily chlorhexidine wash, which had low compliance at 18-28%. Education sessions were delivered to the ICU staff, focusing on proper dressing technique and line care. In addition, CVAD and chlorhexidine wash rounds were introduced to support and monitor practice at bedside.
Result
Improvements were seen across several key areas. Hand hygiene compliance increased to 89%, aseptic technique reached full compliance (100%), and chlorhexidine wash rate rose to 85%. From January to April 2025, zero CLABSI cases were identified. These results showed that practical education, close monitoring and team engagement can lead to infection prevention improvements.
Conclusion
Sustained CLABSI prevention in the ICU requires a holistic and consistent approach. Ongoing education is vital, especially in areas of high staff turnover such as ICU. Embedding best practices into daily workflows and maintaining staff accountability are key to long term success in preventing CLABSIs.