Multidisciplinary program linked to fewer neonatal PICC bloodstream infections

A multidisciplinary quality improvement program was associated with a lower rate of central line-associated bloodstream infection among newborns treated with peripherally inserted central catheters, according to a comparative study of 120 infants. The reported infection rate was 0.267% among 60 newborns who received the program, compared with 0.812% among 60 newborns managed with routine nursing measures. The difference between the groups was statistically significant. The findings support the program as a feasible approach to improving neonatal catheter care, but the sequential design cannot establish that multidisciplinary collaboration alone produced the lower infection rate.

The study used two groups treated during different periods in a neonatal setting. The control group comprised 60 newborns with PICCs hospitalized from July 2020 through July 2021 and managed with traditional nursing methods. The intervention group comprised 60 newborns with PICCs hospitalized from July 2021 through June 2022. During the intervention period, the care team applied multidisciplinary collaborative nursing and quality management. Investigators compared central line-associated bloodstream infection incidence, central venous catheter retention time, catheter complications, antibiotic use, length of hospital stay and hospitalization outcomes between the two cohorts.

Catheter retention time was the other outcome reported to differ significantly. Central venous catheters remained in place for a mean of 26.21 ± 9.75 days in the intervention group, compared with 20.63 ± 7.36 days in the control group, a difference of approximately 5.6 days. The abstract does not describe the specific practices included in the multidisciplinary program or the criteria used for catheter removal, so it cannot identify which aspect of care was associated with the longer retention time.

Several secondary outcomes did not improve significantly. Although the intervention group had shorter hospital stays, fewer reported complications and a shorter duration of antibiotic use, the corresponding P values exceeded 0.05. Hospitalization outcomes also did not differ significantly between the groups. The results therefore distinguish two significant associations—a lower CLABSI rate and longer catheter retention—from the other measured endpoints, for which the study found no statistically significant differences. As a nonrandomized quality improvement project conducted in successive cohorts of 60 newborns, the research is limited by the potential influence of changes in patient mix, clinical practice or other conditions over time. The reported evidence does not establish whether the program would produce similar results in other neonatal units or whether the infection reduction would persist beyond the studied periods.

Subject of Research: Multidisciplinary quality improvement to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections in newborns with PICCs

Article Title: Application of multidisciplinary collaboration in a quality improvement for reducing peripherally inserted central catheter associated bloodstream infections in newborns

Article References: Gai, M., Tang, W., Bian, L., Jiang, W., Liu, C., Li, H., Zhou, J., & Wang, Y. (2026). Application of multidisciplinary collaboration in a quality improvement for reducing peripherally inserted central catheter associated bloodstream infections in newborns. BMC Health Services Research. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-15438-6

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12913-026-15438-6

Keywords: neonatal care, PICC, CLABSI, bloodstream infection, quality improvement, multidisciplinary collaboration, catheter care, newborns, comparative study, health services research, Application, multidisciplinary