The Impact of a Dedicated Nurse on the Prevention of Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections in the NICU.

BACKGROUND: The neonatal population is at increased risk for central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) related to prematurity, critical illness, and compromised immune function.1,4,5 METHODS: To address a 30 percent CLABSI rate increase, a quality improvement (QI) project in a Level IV NICU was developed and implemented by the NICU CLABSI team in 2018. The project trialed a dedicated CLABSI prevention-registered nurse (DCP-RN) role with select responsibilities aimed at rate reduction. The DCP-RN spearheaded an RN education plan, addressed prevention bundle compliance, and aided in establishing a reliable apparent cause analysis (ACA) process. RESULTS: The outcome resulted in an over 50% reduction in the CLABSI rate and permanent adoption of the DCP-RN role in the NICU.

Treatment of pulmonary hypertension during initial hospitalization in a multicenter cohort of infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).

OBJECTIVE: Describe inpatient pulmonary hypertension (PH) treatment and factors associated with therapy at discharge in a multicenter cohort of infants with CDH. METHODS: Six years linked records from Children's Hospitals Neonatal Database and Pediatric Health Information System were used to describe associations between prenatal/perinatal factors, clinical outcomes, echocardiographic findings and PH medications (PHM), during hospitalization and at discharge. RESULTS: Of 1106 CDH infants from 23 centers, 62.8% of infants received PHM, and 11.6% of survivors were discharged on PHM. Survivors discharged on PHM more frequently had intrathoracic liver, small for gestational age, and low 5 min APGARs compared with those discharged without PHM (p < 0.0001). Nearly one-third of infants discharged without PHM had PH on last inpatient echo. CONCLUSIONS: PH medication use is common in CDH. Identification of infants at risk for persistent PH may impact ongoing management. Post-discharge follow-up of all CDH infants with echocardiographic evidence of PH is warranted.

Improving family-centered care practices in the NICU.

Family presence and participation in care in the NICU is fundamental to the recovery and well-being of the sick neonate and family. However, some NICU visitation policies are not supportive of families. A new visitor-management program was initiated at a local hospital. The program included open visitation for parents and others chosen by parents to be a support during their hospital stay. This quality-improvement project evaluated if there was any improvement in parents' perceptions and experiences of family-centered care after the implementation of the new visitor-management program. The NICU parent survey data revealed a modest positive difference in parent responses after the implementation of the program.