National influences on catheter-associated bloodstream infection rates: practices among national surveillance networks participating in the European HELICS project

Intervention to reduce catheter-related bloodstream infections in a pediatric intensive care unit

“…Moreover, the multivariable analysis may have been underpowered because there were 42 CR-BSIs throughout the entire study; however, survival analysis curves confirmed the influence of IT and PN on the cumulative probability of avoiding CR-BSIs. Second, it was not a multicenter study; substantial variation exists in the CR-BSI prevention activities, surveillance methods and estimated CR-BSI rates among the European countries [44], reasons why generalization of our results should be made with caution. Moreover, our PICU is a medical/surgical unit without postoperative cardiac surgery patients.…”

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Europe: which infection control measures are taken?

“…Possible reasons for these differences have been already discussed in the literature [10][11][12]. Each country's epidemiology of antibiotic resistant microorganisms itself may also lead to regional distinctions in the compliance with infection control measures.…”

“…The study was embedded in the Hospital in Europe Link for Infection Control through Surveillance (HELICS) Project, a European collaboration of national surveillance networks [8][9][10]. HELICS was initiated in order to harmonize the national surveillance activities in the individual countries.…”

Prevention of catheter-related infection

“…Many studies have been conducted and meta-analyses performed. Despite abundant literature on this topic, impregnated catheters are used inconsistently [41]. In a meta-analysis, Hockenhull et al [42 ] found that many trials about antiinfective catheters were of poor quality and only a few (seven of 24) looked at catheter dwell-times of more than 12 days.…”