Use of a Central Catheter Maintenance Bundle in Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals.

Objective: Evidence-based guidelines have resulted in decreases in bloodstream infections associated with central catheters (CLABSIs) in hospital intensive care units. However, relatively little is known about CLABSI incidence and prevention in long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs).

Methods: A central catheter maintenance bundle was implemented in 30 LTACHs, and compliance with the bundle was tracked for 6 months.

Long-term acute care hospitals have low impact on medicare readmissions to short-term acute care hospitals.

The relative contribution of long-term acute care hospital (LTACH) to short-term acute care hospital (STACH) Medicare patient readmissions is important because of the high acuity of LTACH patients. A retrospective cohort study was conducted to determine the magnitude of LTACH Medicare heart failure (HF) and pneumonia (PN) inpatient readmissions to STACHs within 30 days of LTACH admission and the relative contribution of LTACH patient readmissions to each STACH's total readmissions. Seventy-five for-profit LTACHs and their associated host or primary referral STACHs were studied.