From ICU to hospital-wide: extending central line associated bacteraemia (CLAB) prevention.

Aims: To decrease hospital-wide central line associated bacteraemia (CLAB) by spreading the prevention programme beyond the intensive care unit (ICU) in a secondary care hospital in Auckland, New Zealand.

Method: Over 15 months, four general surgical wards, five inpatient units, and surgical theatres adopted the quality improvement initiative, and were followed for a further 15 months. The initiative included central line insertion and maintenance checklists, a central line insertion pack, training in central line care, and a dedicated database.