Immediate improvement in the reduction of false-positive blood cultures
Des Peres Hospital
167 Beds

Des Peres Hospital has introduced a new technology to aid in the fight against Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections (CLABSIs) and Contaminated Blood Cultures.  The CUROS® Port Protector from Ivera Medical, Inc. is a unique green disinfection cap designed to securely twist onto our patients’ luer-activated valves (LAVs) and protect them against exposure to touch and airborne contamination.

Des Peres nurses simply peel the CUROS® cap off the foil strip hung conventiently at the bedside and twist the cap over the top of their patient’s luer-activated I.V. access port. Inside the CUROS® cap is a 70% IPA (isopropyl alcohol) saturated sponge-like foam.  Once secured, the CUROS® Port Protector automatically provides effective, consistent and reliable passive disinfection of the port. When the clinician needs to deliver medication or draw blood from a CUROS® covered LAV, they no longer need to “Scrub the Hub.”  When it’s green, it’s clean.

The Des Peres Infection Control team brought CUROS® to the attention of the New Products Committee for a number of reasons.  First, Ivera Medical has published evidence-based data showing that CUROS® can help reduce CLABSI rates by 86.2% and reduce contaminated blood cultures by 92%.*

Although Des Peres’ CLABSI rate is low compared to national averages, their rates of false positive blood cultures have been rising. Within one month of implementing CUROS® in the ICU/CCU, The Des Peres staff reduced contaminated blood cultures from 10 false positives per month down to one.

Nursing played an integral part in the CUROS® evaluation process. The nurses reported that CUROS® enables them to spend more time—up to 30 minutes more each day—with their patients. Despite the additional cost of implementing passive disinfection caps, evidence that CUROS is improving overall patient care and nursing staff satisfaction encouraged hospital Administration to implement CUROS® Strip Port Protectors on all central and PICC lines.

“Within one month of implementing CUROS® in the ICU/CCU, The Des Peres staff reduced contaminated blood cultures from 10 false positives per month down to one.”