Catheter-associated bloodstream infections in the NICU: getting to zero.

The neonatal population is at a particularly high risk for catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CABSI). Chlorhexidine for skin antisepsis is well documented to effectively decrease the incidence of bloodstream infections associated with central venous catheters in other populations. The project described in this article demonstrates that chlorhexidine for central venous catheter insertion and line maintenance in the neonatal population safely and effectively reduces CABSI.