30th April 2012

New Welsh campaign to help S.T.O.P. infections

Dr Eleri Davies, director of healthcare associated infections in Public Health Wales and 1000 Lives Plus Faculty member, introduces a new campaign from 1000 Lives Plus.

The use of devices like urinary catheters and intra-venous cannulas are often an important part of treatment for many patients. Unfortunately, both devices carry a risk of infection because they can allow bacteria into the body.

I know from personal experience what can happen when a cannula is left in longer than necessary.

As a junior doctor, I admitted a patient in acute heart failure who had heart valve disease. I knew I needed to give medication to treat the heart failure and that the best way of doing this was through an intra-venous cannula.

I inserted the device and the patient was admitted to the coronary care unit to be stabilised where they improved. At this point the patient no longer needed intra-venous medications, so the cannula could possibly have come out.

Unfortunately, it was not removed and the patient developed an infection, which spread rapidly from the cannula into the patient’s blood and also infected the already damaged heart valves resulting in emergency heart valve replacement surgery.

Thankfully the patient survived the infection and the surgery, and was eventually discharged from hospital. The experience however, left an indelible print on my mind and was a salutary lesson in the unintended harm that can result from medical devices, needed for treatment, but that can lead to problems if left in too long.

Time to S.T.O.P. infections

The new campaign is asking frontline staff to S.T.O.P. and assess if the patient they are caring for needs a cannula or catheter? And if one is in place, to question whether it’s still needed or can be removed. S.T.O.P. prompts staff to:

• Stop and ask if the device is really needed?

• Think and give the necessary attention to detail, including clinical indicators for use.

• Consider Options and whether there are alternatives.

• Prevent healthcare associated infections by ensuring the use and maintenance of medical devices area as safe as possible.

Organisations have been implementing two new care bundles – a set of interventions that work better together than separately – to improve care and reduce infections. Staff are also being encouraged to use a checklist each time for every patient to ensure the correct decision is made for them.

Find out more information and how you can S.T.O.P. infectionswww.1000livesplus.wales.nhs.uk/stop