Urinary Tract Infection and Study
Reducing Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that occurs in any part of the urinary system. Patients with indwelling urinary catheters have an increased risk of acquiring a urinary tract infection. Seventy-five percent of hospital acquired urinary tract infections are associated with patients that have or have had an indwelling urinary catheter during their hospital stay. Approximately 15-25% of hospital patients receive urinary catheters during their hospital stay (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). The amount of time the catheter remains inserted is the major risk factor for acquiring a UTI (Elpern et al., 2009). A catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) occurs when bacteria enters any part of the urinary system causing an infection due to the catheter’s presence. Catheter associated urinary tract infections cause unnecessary risks to patients including the risk of death, increase their time spent in the hospital and increased cost of their hospital stay.
Problem Statement/Study Purpose Urinary tract infections account for 32% of all hospital acquired infections (Elpern et al., 2009). In the Medical Intensive Care Unit of Rush University Medical Center the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) data indicated that the unit’s monthly rates of CAUTIs in 2006 exceeded the NHSN 50th percentile (Elpern et al.). The unit wanted to determine if decreasing the urinary catheter device days whether that would cause the CAUTI rates to decrease. This study was relevant because it attempted to evaluate an intervention determined by the nursing unit as to the inappropriate use of urinary catheters. The unit wanted to study to see if decreasing the device days would decrease the rate of catheter associated urinary tract infections, and if proven to be significant would affect all nursing unit’s protocols of urinary catheter use.
Research Question/Hypothesis The study by Elpern, et
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that occurs in any part of the urinary system. Patients with indwelling urinary catheters have an increased risk of acquiring a urinary tract infection. Seventy-five percent of hospital acquired urinary tract infections are associated with patients that have or have had an indwelling urinary catheter during their hospital stay. Approximately 15-25% of hospital patients receive urinary catheters during their hospital stay (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). The amount of time the catheter remains inserted is the major risk factor for acquiring a UTI (Elpern et al., 2009). A catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) occurs when bacteria enters any part of the urinary system causing an infection due to the catheter’s presence. Catheter associated urinary tract infections cause unnecessary risks to patients including the risk of death, increase their time spent in the hospital and increased cost of their hospital stay.
Problem Statement/Study Purpose Urinary tract infections account for 32% of all hospital acquired infections (Elpern et al., 2009). In the Medical Intensive Care Unit of Rush University Medical Center the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) data indicated that the unit’s monthly rates of CAUTIs in 2006 exceeded the NHSN 50th percentile (Elpern et al.). The unit wanted to determine if decreasing the urinary catheter device days whether that would cause the CAUTI rates to decrease. This study was relevant because it attempted to evaluate an intervention determined by the nursing unit as to the inappropriate use of urinary catheters. The unit wanted to study to see if decreasing the device days would decrease the rate of catheter associated urinary tract infections, and if proven to be significant would affect all nursing unit’s protocols of urinary catheter use.
Research Question/Hypothesis The study by Elpern, et
References: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2009). Guideline for prevention of catheter-associated urinary tract infections, 2009. Retrieved November 27, 2012, from http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/cauti/002_cauti_toc.html Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010). Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). Retrieved November 27, 2012, from http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/ca_uti/uti.html Elpern, E. H., Killeen, K., Ketchern, A., Wiley, A., Patel, G., & Lateef, O. (2009). Reducing use of indwelling urinary catheters and associated urinary tract infections. American Journal of Critical Care, 18(6), 535-542. Retrieved November 18, 2012 from CINAHL Plus database.