Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI)

What Are We Measuring?

A central line–associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) is a serious but preventable infection that can occur when bacteria enter the bloodstream through a central line catheter. To track how well hospitals prevent these infections, we measure the number of CLABSIs per 1,000 central line days. Many hospitals also use a Standardized Infection Ratio (SIR), which compares the number of infections that occurred to the number that would be expected based on national benchmarks. The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provides the surveillance standards used across the country. These measures matter because CLABSIs can lead to severe illness, longer hospital stays, and higher healthcare costs — and most importantly, they can be prevented.

How Well Are We Doing?

This graph reflects the January data refresh on the CMS Care Compare website, covering the January 2024, 2025, and 2026 refresh cycles. A lower rate means better performance. For the last two data refreshes, Hendricks Regional Health has performed better than both state and national averages — and we have remained below the national rate throughout the entire reporting period.

What Are We Doing to prevent CLABSI?

At Hendricks Regional Health, we adhere to the basics of infection prevention because we know that even the simplest actions play a powerful role in protecting people who rely on us. We’re just as committed to handwashing and maintaining clean, comfortable spaces, as we are to using best practices of care.

Preventing CLABSI requires consistent, evidence‑based practices, and our teams follow these standards with great care. We use a set of proven steps — often called bundles — for both insertion and daily maintenance of central lines. These include:

• Rigorous hand hygiene for everyone involved in care
• Encouraging visitors to follow strict handwashing practices
• Using sterile barriers during catheter insertion and sterile processes with daily maintenance
• Assessing every day whether the central line is still needed and removing it as soon as it’s no longer essential
• Disinfecting catheter hubs before every use
• Providing ongoing education for healthcare personnel on CLABSI prevention
• Performing regular audits to ensure these practices are followed consistently

Each of these steps reflects our commitment to keeping patients safe. By combining vigilance, teamwork, and evidence‑based care, we work every day to reduce infections and support the best possible outcomes for the people we serve.

Learn More

We encourage patients and family members to use many of the different resources available to compare and choose a hospital or healthcare provider. Examples include Medicare.gov Care Compare and Leapfrog Ratings as well as talking with your healthcare provider.