Indwelling catheters: best, avoid

“Urinary catheters can be associated with infection as well as non-infectious injuries such as trauma and obstruction,” the doctor explained. Payal Patel, Intermountain Health Infectious Disease Physician and Article Lead Author Strategies for preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections in acute care hospitals: 2022 update.

“Prevention of infections associated with the use of typical indwelling urinary catheters is multidisciplinary. Many members of the healthcare team, including physicians and nurses, play a role.”

75% of infections are caused by indwelling urinary catheters

UTIs are among the most common healthcare-associated infections, with as many as three-quarters of UTIs caused by indwelling urinary catheters.Catheter-associated infection and high hospital mortality The hospital stay is longer and costs approach $2,000 per inpatient.

The updated recommendations include a model “catheter life cycle interruption” that identifies alternatives to indwelling catheters, shows how to follow insertion guidelines, and keep the catheter safe,

And urge medical staff to remove it in time.Non-catheter strategies include rapid toileting, urinals, bedside toilets, incontinence suits, and/or Using an indwelling catheter strategy, Examples include intermittent rectal catheterization or external urinary catheters.

Raise awareness among medical professionals

Since catheterization time is the most important risk factor for developing infection, the authors recommend at least one Daily review of continuous catheterization, These may include automatic reminders of the presence of catheters or checking all patients with catheters during ward rounds.

Other basic practices include making sure that supplies are available to treat urinary problems for patients without and with catheters, and ensuring that catheters are placed on beds and wheelchairs when they are used to prevent the tube from bending and increasing the risk of infection . Educating Healthcare Professionals on Urine Culture Management

Concomitant provision of urine culture indications is another important new practice.

Reference article: Executive summary: Summary of strategies for preventing healthcare-associated infections in acute care hospitals: 2022 update