Incidence of central line associated bloodstream infection following central venous catheter placement in the emergency department

Introduction: Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) are costly and can be lifethreatening. Many efforts have been taken to minimize the rates of infection, including sterile technique, pre-packaged sterile kits, site selection, and replacing infected or potentially infected lines. This study aims to identify the incidence of CLABSI following catheter placement in the ED, and to compare rates of CLABSI among ED and ICU placed catheters. Methods: This retrospective chart review was conducted at a Level 1 Trauma Center. Eligibility criteria included patients who had CVC placed in the ED or ICU from January 1st, 2018, through July 31st, 2019 who were 18 years or older. Results: Among 1810 patients with central lines, 1254 met eligibility criteria. There was no significant difference in infection rates when comparing lines placed in the ED (2.5 per 1000 catheter days, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.8 to 5.8) compared to those placed in the ICU (4.6 per 1000 catheter days, 95% CI 3.0 to 6.8). The odds of CLABSI was not associated with age, sex, indication, site, location nor which type of health care professional (HCP) placed the line. Conclusions: In this study, the incidence of infection was no different between lines placed in the ED compared to the ICU.