post a discussion to agree/disagree

A central line-associated bloodstream infection occurs as a result of infections introduced through central line venous catheters that reach the bloodstream of the patient. These infections can lead to increased complications, longer hospital stays, increased medical costs, and higher mortality rates. Central line bloodstream infections can be prevented by physicians’ and nurses’ adherence to sterile insertion techniques, central line maintenance bundle compliance, and education. Implementing infection control measures can not only promote patient safety and wellbeing but also reduce financial burdens on hospitals. 

The PICOT for the topic of central line-associated bloodstream infections is 

(P)- patients with central venous catheters in a critical care unit 

(I)- implementation of central line maintenance bundles and adherence to sterile techniques 

(C )- standard protocols for insertion and maintenance of central venous catheters

(O)- Reduction in the incidence of CLABSI rates on the unit 

(T)- to measure the incidence rates over months 

Creating a research question in the form of a PICOT can help assist in creating a research strategy by communicating the question in a manner necessitating extensive research (Riva et al., 2012)

The databases I used for my research include CINAHL Plus and PubMed. On CINAHL Plus, I searched for articles using the phrase “central line-associated bloodstream infections” in the search box. This generated 765 search results, but once I included Boolean operators such as “and prevention or intervention or treatment or program”. This narrowed down my search to CLABSI articles focused on the prevention of infections and included articles with specific treatments and more education on central line infection. The article I found discusses infection trends and several recommendations for enhancing the prevention process including bacteremia models and advanced IV dressings (Garcia, 2023). On PubMed, I was able to research CLABSI articles using search filters to narrow my results. I typed “CLABSI prevention” into the search bar and used filters to identify types of articles. I focused my search on “randomized controlled trials” to analyze studies that yielded results indicating that prevention strategies successfully reduced the incidence of central line infections. The article I chose describes the effect of alcohol-containing cap use for preventing bloodstream infections. By using specific filters, I am able to effectively search for relevant articles pertaining to study types that are appropriate for determining whether certain protocols or procedures had an effect on the risk of infection (Ta?delen Ö?ülmen & Ate?, 2020). 

Boolean operators serve as an effective tool for defining the search results between terms. The three common Boolean operators use keywords such as “and”, “or”, or “not”. Walden University describes Boolean operators as assisting the database in generating more precise results (Walden University, n.d.). However, these operators can also be used to reduce results. Using “and” combines different concepts, thus reducing produced results. Similarly, “not” excludes certain results from being included in the search, yet can narrow down a specific topic. On the other hand, using “or” phrases a concept differently ultimately expands the results. 

After incorporating Boolean operators, I have been able to refine my PICOT question to analyze the effects of implementation and adherence of central line care, followed by the reduction of infection rates as a result of standard protocols and maintenance.