Table 1 Characteristics of the study population (ICUs), outcomes and crude incidence rate ratios of intervention versus baseline periods, according to the study group

ICUs

N

24

24

24

24

24

24

Patients

N

21,346

22,897

26,095

25,127

28,698

28,791

Patient days

N

75,593

85,135

92,597

90,820

98,726

103,356

CL days

N

46,011

54,305

60,430

58,656

66,670

70,068

Length of stay (days)^b

Pooled mean

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.4

3.5

3.6

Median (IQR), P value^a

3.7 (2.6–4.6)

3.6 (2.7–4.2), 0.9179^a

3.6 (2.7–4.5)

3.6 (2.7–4.5), 1.000^a

3.3 (2.9–4.2)

3.3 (2.9–4.6), 0.7880^a

CL use (%)^b

Pooled mean

60.9

64.6

63.8

67.53

65.3

67.8

Median (IQR), P value^a

63.4 (55.6–77.5)

67.9 (55.8–77.6), 0.8366^a

68.4 (45.3–78.5)

64.9 (43.7–77.5), 0.8528^a

68.5 (60.0–76.8)

65.3 (58.6–79.1), 0.8200^a

Mechanical ventilation (%)^b

Pooled mean

34.4

30.8

37.7

35.5

31.9

36.9

Median (IQR), P value^a

33.2 (24.6–45.9)

33.1 (26.7–47.4), 0.8206^a

28.2 (17.9–41.3)

30.1 (16.6–39.5), 0.9671^a

32.2 (24.4–44.9)

34.5 (24.6–48.1), 0.8850^a

Outcomes

 CLABSI with any pathogen

N

68

49

76

86

80

82

ID/1000 CL days (95% CI)

1.48 (1.15–1.87)

0.90 (0.67–1.19)

1.26 (0.99–1.57)

1.47 (1.17–1.81)

1.20 (0.95–1.49)

1.17 (0.93–1.45)

  Compared to baseline in each study group

IRR (95% CI), P value

1 = reference

0.61 (0.42–0.88), 0.0085

1 = reference

1.17 (0.86–1.59), 0.3298

1 = reference

0.98 (0.72–1.33), 0.8735

 CLABSI with gram-positive bacteria

N

45

28

51

72

52

55

ID/1000 CL days (95% CI)

0.98 (0.71–1.31)

0.52 (0.34–0.75)

0.84 (0.63–1.11)

1.23 (0.96–1.55)

0.78 (0.58–1.02)

0.79 (0.59–1.02)

  Compared to baseline in each study group

IRR (95% CI), P value

1 = reference

0.53 (0.33–0.85), 0.0078*

1 = reference

1.45 (1.02–2.08), 0.0407*

1 = reference

1.01 (0.69–1.47), 0.9737

 CLABSI with CoNS

N

25

11

31

43

25

26

ID/1000 CL days (95% CI)

0.54 (0.35–0.80)

0.20 (0.10–0.36)

0.51 (0.35–0.73)

0.73 (0.53–0.98)

0.38 (0.24–0.55)

0.37 (0.24–0.564)

  Compared to baseline in each study group

IRR (95% CI), P value

1 = reference

0.37 (0.18–0.76), 0.0064*

1 = reference

1.43 (0.90–2.27), 0.1297

1 = reference

0.99 (0.57–1.71), 0.9701

 CLABSI with gram-negative bacteria

N

11

12

16

12

14

22

ID/1000 CL days (95% CI)

0.24 (0.12–0.43)

0.22 (0.11–0.39)

0.27 (0.15–0.43)

0.21 (0.11–0.36)

0.21 (0.12–0.35)

0.31 (0.20–0.48)

  Compared to baseline in each study group

IRR (95% CI), P value

1 = reference

0.92 (0.41–2.10), 0.8504

1 = reference

0.77 (0.37–1.63), 0.4995

1 = reference

1.50 (0.77–2.92), 0.2393