CDC guidance on preventing intravascular catheter-related bloodstream infections reminds critical-care teams that insertion and maintenance practices both matter. The guidance addresses hand hygiene, maximal sterile barriers at insertion, chlorhexidine skin antisepsis, site selection, and — most relevant to bedside nurses — ongoing assessment of line necessity.
The bundle is built on evidence that consistent maintenance care, not just a clean insertion, drives infection rates. The alert emphasizes scrubbing the hub for the recommended time before every access, keeping dressings clean, dry, and intact, and removing any line the moment it is no longer needed. CLABSI carries meaningful mortality and added length of stay, so each prevented infection matters.
Why this matters on shift
CLABSIs are largely preventable, costly, and dangerous. Nurses are the constant at the bedside, so the maintenance steps you own — hub disinfection, dressing checks, and championing early line removal — are where most CLABSI prevention actually happens.