Central line-associated bloodstream infection rates in intensive care units of China’s hospitals: a meta-analysis

Various reasons have hindered accurate reporting of the central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) rates in China's hospital ICUs. This study conducts a meta-analysis to provide a precise assessment of CLABSI rates in these units. Adhering to the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI, Wanfang and Weipu from January 2008 to December 2023. Selection of literature followed strict criteria, ensuring relevant data extraction. A random-effects model facilitated the meta-analysis. The analysis incorporated 23 studies (PubMed: 5, Web of Science: 4, Embase: 1, CNKI: 9, Wanfang: 2, Weipu: 2). It revealed an overall weighted CLABSI rate in China's ICUs of 2.65‰ (95% CI: 2.57-2.73‰), with 3.12‰ in adult ICU (95% CI: 2.70-3.54‰) and 2.57‰ in pediatric ICUs (95% CI: 2.49-2.66‰). Notably, adult ICUs in North of China recorded the highest rate at 5.13‰ (95% CI: 4.23-6.02‰), and pediatric ICUs in East of China had 3.35‰ (95% CI: 2.85-3.85‰). The study indicates that CLABSI rates in China's ICUs surpass those reported in national healthcare reports and the US CDC-NHSN data. This underscores the urgency for enhanced surveillance and infection control. The findings stress the need for standardized surveillance definitions and methods to truly represent CLABSI epidemiology and develop effective prevention strategies.