Concerned parents of children who have been admitted into the local ICU may have much to worry about. A study by Consumer Reports finds that pediatric ICUs have much higher infection rates than adult ICUs.
Researchers from Consumer Reports focused on 98 pediatric intensive care units in 31 states across the country. These pediatric intensive care units reported their infection data. The researchers found that pediatric ICUs had infection rates that were at least 20% higher than the national rate for adult ICUs.
Pediatric ICUs had a rate of 1.8 bloodstream infections for every 1000 days the children were on central lines. In comparison, adult ICUs have a national average of 1.5 bloodstream infections for every 1000 days adults were hooked on a central line. In some of the pediatric ICU’s, the infection rates were as high as 7.2. That is higher than the national average infection rates in adult ICUs.
Out of the 98 pediatric intensive care units in the study, Consumer Reports researchers found that only 5 pediatric intensive care units reported zero infection rates in 2010.
According to Consumer Reports, the data came from pediatric intensive care units and hospitals that report infection data. Arizona medical malpractice lawyers find that there is reason to be concerned about infection rates at hospitals that choose not to report infection data.
Parents can reduce the chances of infections in their children by working together with the ICU staff to keep the central line and catheters clean and sterilized. Parents must read up on the best practices for avoiding deadly central line-associated bloodstream infections, and make sure that hospitals are following these practices. Parents can also help ensure that visitors and hospital staff keep their hands clean when visiting or attending to a child.
