CDC Blog Addresses Cleaning Dialysis Stations Between Patients

The CDC, in collaboration with the Dialysis Bloodstream Infection Prevention Collaborative, has recently developed several new tools to prevent bloodstream infections among outpatient hemodialysis patients. Most recently, a new checklist tool for Dialysis Station Routine Disinfection was developed and piloted at St. Albans satellite clinic affiliated with Fletcher Allen Healthcare in Vermont. Today, on CDCs Safe Healthcare blog, Peggy Bushey, nurse manager for renal services at Fletcher Allen Healthcare, describes the impact of this new checklist on the St. Albans clinic. She reports several positive outcomes associated with waiting for the patient to leave the station before beginning routine disinfection.  In a separate post on CDCs Safe Healthcare blog, Dr. Priti Patel, medical officer and lead of CDCs Dialysis Safety efforts, describes how elements of routine disinfection of the dialysis station are basic patient safety expectations. The new Dialysis Station Routine Disinfection checklist tool and accompanying Notes for Clinical Managers may be found in the Prevention Tools section of CDCs Dialysis Safety website. Join the conversation on CDCs Safe Healthcare blog: http://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare