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The following resources can assist dialysis facilities in reducing infection rates.

• 4 Ways to Get Ahead of Sepsis
• BSI QAPI Form
• Caring For Your Dialysis Catheter (English)
• Caring For Your Dialysis Catheter (Spanish)
• CDC Audit Tools
• Environmental Surface Disinfection in Dialysis Facilities: Notes for Clinical Managers
• NHSN Newsletters
• Stop! Sticker: Antibiotic Order
• Patient Resources—NW 7
• Patient Resources—NW 15
• Patient Resources—NW 17
• CDC Clean Hands Count Campaign
• Conversation Starter to Prevent Infections in Dialysis Patients
• Sepsis Zone Tool: My Plan to Identify Infection and/or Sepsis
• Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Tool for Hemodialysis Facilities
• AHRQ Safety Program for ESRD Facilities—Toolkit

Reducing Long-Term Catheter (LTC) Use

Following are links to tools that will assist you in achieving your LTC reduction goals:

Catheter Tracking Form

• This Catheter Tracking form (XLSX) tracks the number of catheters in the facility by month. Use this tracker when completing your monthly reporting to the Network via Survey Monkey link.
• QAPI QIA LTC Monitoring Form (PDF) tracks the number of patients >90 days who are eligible and who have been referred for a permanent access, and for discussion of progress toward goals during QAPI meetings.

CDC Resources

• CDC Catheter Care Tools
  • Audit Tool: Catheter Connection and Disconnection Observations (For monthly reporting.)
  • Checklist: Hemodialysis Catheter Connection
  • Checklist: Hemodialysis Catheter Disconnection
  • Hemodialysis Central Venous Catheter Scrub-the-Hub Protocol

• CDC Catheter Exit Site Tools
  • Audit Tool: Catheter Exit Site Care Observations (For monthly reporting.)
  • Checklist: Hemodialysis Catheter Exit Site Care

• CDC Infection Protection Tools Page
  This page includes additional links to all CDC infection protection tools, including core interventions, the Scrub-the-Hub Protocol, all audit tools and checklists, as well as clinician education.

Other Provider Resources

• Vascular Access Consultation Appointment Sheet
  This appointment sheet is a helpful way to remind and encourage patients to seek a vascular access consultation.
• Vascular Access Options (English/Spanish)
  This patient handout illustrates the vascular access options for patients. Review this handout with your patients upon admission to educate them on dialysis access types and to help keep track of their next vascular access appointment.
• Vascular Access Manager Job Description (PDF) A sample job description for staff offering suggested roles and responsibilities of a Vascular Access Manager (VAM).  This tool is designed to assist facilities in designating the role of a VAM to a staff member for more efficient tracking and monitoring of vascular accesses.
• Helping Patients Cope with Needle Fear (PDF) This one-page document explains the reality of needle fear and offers tips for staff in helping to reduce the fear of needles.

Patient Resources

• Hemodialysis Vascular Access (English/Spanish)
  The resource lists the advantages and disadvantages to each hemodialysis vascular access type. Use this handout to educate patients and staff members about the different vascular access types.
• Sepsis Zone Tool (English/Spanish) 
  This one-page document specifies and categorizes symptoms of sepsis and actions to be taken if those symptoms manifest by green—No Signs of Infection, yellow—Caution, and red—Medical Alert. 
• Additional Tips for Needle Fear (English/Spanish) This document offers strategies to help patients overcome the fear of needles so they can use their permanent dialysis access for dialysis treatments.