Needleless Connector Hub Disinfection
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Authors
Todd, Anna
Schuver, Chris
Michaelson, Ben
Date of Issue
2023-04-28
Type
Presentation
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Abstract
Infections acquired from the bacterial presence on needleless connector hubs in hospital settings are an ongoing problem in healthcare. They pose a major risk to patients; however, infections can be reduced with better standards of care. Nurses should care about this problem because it is something that nurses can easily prevent in our everyday practice and it has the potential to save lives via simple measures. Needleless connector hubs are defined as vascular access lines which can be used to infuse liquids and medications into the body without the use of a needle, such as peripheral intravenous lines or peripherally inserted central catheters (Rocha et al., 2022). Passive disinfection caps refer to specific caps for needleless connector hubs that incorporate isopropyl alcohol within them to passively disinfect the hubs when installed (Casey et al., 2018). The purpose of this evidence-based review is to examine the effects of different types of disinfecting methods on the development of vascular access-related infections, as well as recommend updates in practice according to the findings. Nurses and other healthcare providers can use this information to implement best practices in an effort to reduce the development of vascular-related infections.