Positive deviance as a strategy to prevent and control bloodstream infections in intensive care^*

Positive deviance como estrategia en la prevención y control de las infecciones de corriente sanguínea en los cuidados intensivos

Abstract

OBJECTIVE  To describe the application of positive deviance as a strategy to prevent and control bloodstream infections.

METHOD  An intervention study with nursing and medical team members working in an intensive care unit in a university hospital, between June and December 2014. The four steps of the positive defiance methodology were applied: to define, to determine, to discover and to design.

RESULTS  In 90 days, 188 actions were observed, of these, 36.70% (n=69) were related to catheter dressing. In 81.15% (n=56) of these dressings, the professionals most adhered to the use of flexible sterile cotton-tipped swabs to perform antisepsis at catheter entry sites and fixation dressing.

CONCLUSION  Positive deviance contributed to the implementation of proposals to improve work processes and team development related to problems identified in central venous catheter care.

Descriptors Central Venous, Catheters; Infection; Blood Circulation; Nursing Care; Intensive Care Units