About the Reporting Tool

Public reporting of central line associated blood stream infection rates in intensive care units (ICU) of Ontario hospitals will begin on April 30, 2009. Hospitals will post quarterly rates and case counts of central line infection (CLI) that developed in the ICUs of each hospital site on their website, and will also report their data to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care through an online template captured by a central database. The ministry will post this information on its public website.

What are central line infections (CLI)?

CLI occur when a central venous catheter (or “line”) placed into a patient’s vein gets infected. This happens when bacteria grow in the line and spreads to the patient’s bloodstream.

Patients require a central line when blood, fluid replacement and/or nutrition need to be given to them intravenously. Central lines also allow health care providers to monitor fluid status and make determinations about the heart and blood.

What is a case of CLI?

A CLI case is defined as :

• Including only ICU patients
• Blood stream infection (BSI) is considered to be associated with a central line if the line was in place during the 48-hour period before the development of the BSI.

What will be publicly reported?

• The number of CLI cases that developed in the ICU in each hospital site. Where the number is zero (0) or where the cases total five (5) or more associated with that hospital site, the number will be posted. If the cases are fewer than 5 (i.e., 1 to 4 cases), it will state “<5 cases”.
• The CLI rate (per 1000 central line days)

What determines the rate?

The CLI rate is determined by the total number of newly diagnosed CLI cases in the ICU after at least 48 hours of receiving a central line, divided by the number of central line days in that month, multiplied by 1,000. Central line days are the total number of days a central line was used in ICU patients 18 years and older.

What will the health care system do with the rate information?

Hospital CLI rates provide only one measure of patient safety and quality of care.

The information gathered will assist hospitals with evaluating the effectiveness of their infection prevention and control interventions and make further improvements based on this information.