NICU-specific Bundle for Minimizing Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections: Comparative Healthcare Costs of Interventions.

Background: Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs) in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) significantly impact patient outcomes and healthcare costs. This study evaluates the effect of NICU-specific bundle designed to prevent CLABSIs.

Methods: This retrospective single-center study was conducted at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine from March 2020 to August 2021. It was designed to compare 2 periods: pre-intervention and post-intervention period.

Results: The implementation of the bundles led to a significant reduction in infection rates, with CLABSIs decreasing from 29 to 4 per 1000 central line days in NICU-1 and from 14.2 to 2.6 per 1000 central line days in NICU-2. This decline was accompanied by an 80% reduction in the average healthcare cost per patient.

Conclusions: The implementation of a NICU-specific CLABSI prevention bundle significantly reduced infection rates and lowered healthcare costs by approximately 80% per patient. These findings highlight the effectiveness of structured, multidisciplinary infection control strategies in improving neonatal outcomes and resource utilization.