Which practice helps reduce infection risk related to lines in the NICU?

• A. Assess daily line necessity and remove promptly when no longer needed.
• B. Leave lines in place indefinitely.
• C. Remove only if patient shows symptoms.
• D. Avoiding line care to reduce manipulation.

Answer: (B)

Reducing infection risk from lines in the NICU hinges on limiting how long a line stays in place and keeping every handling of the line strictly aseptic. Assessing daily whether a line is still needed and removing it promptly when it’s no longer required minimizes the number of times the skin barrier is breached and the opportunity for microorganisms to access the bloodstream. Each additional day with a line in place increases exposure to potential pathogens, so timely removal is a powerful preventative measure. Alongside this, diligent hand hygiene, proper insertion and maintenance technique, and adherence to line-care bundles (such as appropriate antisepsis and dressing changes) further reduce risk. Practices that keep lines in indefinitely, remove only when symptoms appear, or skip line-care steps undermine the barrier protection and elevate infection risk.