Definitions of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI)
| Data element | Definition |
| Central line | Terminates at or near the heart or in a great vessel. |
| CLABSI infection rate | Number of CLABSI divided by the number of device days multiplied by 1000. For hospitals with <750 line days, the number of months since the last infection is reported. |
| Laboratory confirmed CLABSI infection | When a patient has or had a central line within the past 48 h and either a recognised pathogen is grown in one or more blood cultures in the absence of another source for that pathogen or the patient has clinical signs of infection (hypotension, fever, chills) not related to another site of infection and grows a skin pathogen from at least two blood cultures. |
| Central line day | Counted for each patient who has one or more central lines in place. |
| Central line utilisation rate | Number of line days divided by the number of patient days. |