Medical malpractice frequently involves the acts or omissions of medical professionals that result in patients contracting infections.

That is especially true in pediatric intensive care units (ICUs), where the patients -- newly born babies, infants and young children -- have undeveloped and often compromised immune systems that make them particularly vulnerable to blood-stream and other infections.

Improving outcomes for them was the central goal in a study carried out over three years in a number of ICUs by Johns Hopkins researchers. Participating ICUs -- 29 in all -- agreed to rigorously follow recommended guidelines for inserting catheters and carrying out related maintenance activities, with the outcome measured against the practices routinely followed prior to the study.

The results were readily apparent and dramatic. Study authors say that the blood stream infection rate relating to central-line insertions fell by 56 percent over the trial period. The researchers further report in an outline of their study appearing in the Pediatrics medical journal that 100-plus patients' lives and over $31 million in costs were saved by rigid adherence to the suggested catheter care.

The study stresses that close adherence to both insertion-related recommendations and daily maintenance tasks is required to cut infection rates.

And there is little that is esoteric or overly complex about the bundle of instructions provided. In a nutshell, they consist of the following directives: engage in rigorous hand washing; scrub appropriately at the insertion site prior to injection; enact a sterile barrier that separates the patient and provider from other parties and potentially unhygienic conditions; and be scrupulous about changing dressings and bandages when scheduled to do so.

Source: Medpage Today, "Catheter care cuts blood infections in pediatric ICU" Oct. 24, 2011