Effect of Ventricular Assist Device Self-care Simulation-Based Mastery Learning on Driveline Exit Site Infections: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Ventricular assist device simulation-based mastery learning (SBML) results in better patient and caregiver self-care skills compared with usual training. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of SBML on driveline exit site infections. METHODS: We compared the probability of remaining infection free at 3 and 12 months between patients randomized to SBML or usual training. RESULTS: The SBML-training group had no infections at 3 months and 2 infections at 12 months, yielding a Kaplan-Meier estimate of the probability of remaining infection free of 0.857 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.692-1.00) at 12 months. The usual-training group had 6 infections at 3 months with no additional infections by 12 months. Kaplan-Meier estimates of remaining infection free at 3 and 12 months were 0.878 (95% CI, 0.758-1.00) and 0.748 (95% CI, 0.591-0.946), respectively. Time-to-infection distributions for SBML versus usual training showed a difference in 12-month infection rates of 0.109 (P = .07). CONCLUSIONS: Ventricular assist device self-care SBML resulted in fewer 12-month infections.