Impact of an educational program and policy changes on decreasing catheter-associated bloodstream infections in a medical intensive care unit in Brazil.

Background: Central venous catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CVC-BSI) are a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in intensive care settings. Many strategies have been used to decrease the risk of CVC-BSI; however, few studies have explored the educational intervention as an approach to reduce the CVC-BSI rates.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of an educational program targeted to specific points observed during CVC care practices on decreasing CVC-BSI in a medical intensive care unit.