A central venous line (CVL) is a common way for us to administer medication or fluids or obtain blood tests while a child is in the hospital. While they are essential for patient care, one possible complication is a bloodstream infection. This can be very serious, so we monitor patients very closely and take precautions to decrease the risk to our patients. While some patients have a higher risks than others, most central venous line infections are preventable.
How we're getting better
We follow recommended standards from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and CHSPS. for preventing infections during the insertion of the line as well as for maintenance. We’ve joined a group of other children’s hospitals from across the nation to share ideas and procedures and work together to lower infections across the country.
