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

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.