Saint Elizabeth Healthcare Dearborn Hospital Emergency Department
Dearborn, Indiana
Knowing that accurate blood culture results are essential for providing safe, timely and effective care for patients with serious infections, the St. Elizabeth Healthcare Dearborn Hospital emergency department began a trial of SteriPath devices for collecting blood cultures to decrease the number of contaminants drawn in the emergency departments in 2023. The department
was one of two in the system to initiate the trial, and by the end of the year all the EDs were using the device.
The facility’s contamination rate increased during the fourth quarter amid the transition period of using the new product. The team started a Blood Culture Boot Camp, to provide re-education and improve proper use of the devices.
was one of two in the system to initiate the trial, and by the end of the year all the EDs were using the device.
The facility’s contamination rate increased during the fourth quarter amid the transition period of using the new product. The team started a Blood Culture Boot Camp, to provide re-education and improve proper use of the devices.
By the end of 2024, the blood culture contamination rate was down to 1.2 percent, and continued monitoring and education are geared toward the department meeting a goal of less than 1 percent for 2025. Part of the monitoring process enables leaders to see which nurse or tech draws blood so they can meet one-on-one to help them determine why an error occurred and how to rectify it.