A drive to reduce blood-stream infections among seriously ill patients in hospitals has yielded better results than expected.
Hospital intensive care units have cut the rate of the infections significantly and say standardised processes was the key.
Radio New Zealand's health correspondent says 20,000 are admitted to intensive care units each year and more than half need a catheter to allow medicine and fluid to be given.
The Health Quality and Safety Commission said that resulted ininfections for four to six patients in ICUs each month in the past, but that has been cut to between none and two a month.
