The new initiative is important given that some 37,000 U.S. citizens contract bloodstream infections from kidney dialysis each year. In some cases the infections are fatal.
Bloodstream infections (or septicemia) can occur when foreign bodies enter the body, such as through a medical procedure. Here bacteria can enter the blood. The immune response to the bacteria can cause sepsis and septic shock, which has a relatively high mortality rate. Bacteria can also use the blood to spread to other parts of the body, causing infections away from the original site of infection.
In order to minimize the risk of infection, the CDC has drawn up a new protocol designed to lower the infection rate. The U.S. government health agency is of the opinion that bloodstream infections can be reduced by over 50 percent if its plans are put into place.
Dialysis is the process for removing waste and excess water from the blood and is used primarily as an artificial replacement for lost kidney function in people with kidney failure.
The new initiative comes under a program called “Making Dialysis Safer for Patients Coalition.” The coalition partners, which includes other health agencies and recognized campaign groups (such as the American Association of Kidney Patients), aims to push through the recommendations. A launch meeting is planned for October 2016.
Central to the program is the CDC’s “Core Interventions for Dialysis Bloodstream Infection Prevention.” This takes the form of a package of resources aimed at educating healthcare workers. The package includes videos and checklists. Also included in the plan are educational materials for patients, so that those requiring kidney dialysis can keep an eye out for bad practices and so patients can also spot signs of infection early.
Discussing the initiative, the CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said: “Making evidence-based safety steps a routine part of patient care is a proven strategy to keep dialysis patients safe from bloodstream infections.”
He also added: “We appreciate the new coalition of kidney and dialysis organizations stepping forward to protect the health of dialysis patients.”
