LAUSR

Sikander Zulqarnain* Anton Dela Cruz Gem Snagg Raymonde Elysee Jacqueline Syrus and Samir Fahmy SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY C A T IO N , R E S E A R C H , A N D Q U A L IT Y IM P R O V E M E N T PURPOSE: An estimated 30,000 central line associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs) occur in U.S. Intensive Care Units (ICUs) each year. Patient mortality rates associated with CLABSI range from 12-25% and the cost of CLABSIs ranges from $3,700 to $36,000 per episode of care. To address this issue, we collaborated with hospital management to create a multidisciplinary team to enhance the care of patients with central venous catheters (CVCs) by using A3. A3 is a problem solving and continuous improvement approach first employed by Toyota and based on Edward Denning’s PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act).We implemented an A3 problem solving methodology in order to systematically reduce CLABSI among the medical and surgical ICUs.