Clinical scenario
A rural hospital hires a new infection control professional, EL,
who has just received her master’s degree and trained in infection
control departments that were up to date on the best
evidence. EL reviews the infection control policies and learns
that traditional central line catheters are used. Where she
trained, a new, more expensive, antiseptic catheter was used. The
new catheter is impregnated with chlorhexidine and silver
sulfadiazine and costs $25 more than the traditional catheter.
Because the new catheter is designed to reduce the incidence
of hospital associated infections, particularly blood stream
infections that are catheter related, EL recommends that the
hospital begin using it in place of the traditional central line
catheter. However, hospital administration and the purchasing
department question the value of this new, more expensive,
antiseptic impregnated catheter. Issues related to both cost and
the possibility of improved outcomes are discussed at a meeting
with intensive care nurses, physicians, and representatives from
hospital administration and the purchasing department. Specifically,
the questions are: (1) is the antiseptic impregnated
catheter economically efficient? In other words, are the
additional costs of the catheter offset by potential cost savings in
reduced number of infections, which will affect length of stay?
(2) Is the antiseptic impregnated catheter more cost effective
when used in certain types of patients (eg, patients at high risk
of catheter related infections, such as immunosuppressed
patients)? An interdisciplinary team is asked to conduct a literature
search and make an evidence-based recommendation.