Healthcare Policy on Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections
Healthcare Policy on Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections
Carley Cade
Northwest Mississippi Community College
Nursing Seminar
Dr. Ellen Williams
October 24, 2012
Healthcare Policy on Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections The insertion of indwelling urinary catheters has been a common practice accredited to keeping the bladder empty during hospital stays, treatments and pre- or post-operative procedures. Through this practice, research has shown that many patients will acquire a catheter associated urinary tract infections. The purpose of this healthcare policy is to prove if catheterization is really necessary or is there an alternative, as a nurse what can one to do improve upon existing facility polices and where do we go from here to protect our patients.
The insertion presents a strong possibility of introducing an infection and if the patient had no pre-existing infectious process, the end result may be a urinary tract infection related to the catheter. The presence of a urethral catheter bypasses many of the bladder’s natural defenses and provides a direct connection from the colonized perineum to the usually sterile bladder. Entry of bacteria into the bladder can occur either at initial catheterization or later by ascent of the catheter tubing, for example, when a catheter bag is changed (Dailly, 2011). This is the very step that we as healthcare professionals must work in unison to deem if this is really necessary and if so when should catheterization be discontinued and by whose judgment.
Method
In acute care settings, urinary tract infections account for at least 35% of all hospital-acquired infections, with 80% of those being attributed to the use of indwelling catheters (Bernard, 2012). With these statistics healthcare providers must ask the question if a catheter is really necessary, but not only that they must be given a protocol to follow. Pellow, 2010 along with Critical Care Nurse 2012 have proposed the
Carley Cade
Northwest Mississippi Community College
Nursing Seminar
Dr. Ellen Williams
October 24, 2012
Healthcare Policy on Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections The insertion of indwelling urinary catheters has been a common practice accredited to keeping the bladder empty during hospital stays, treatments and pre- or post-operative procedures. Through this practice, research has shown that many patients will acquire a catheter associated urinary tract infections. The purpose of this healthcare policy is to prove if catheterization is really necessary or is there an alternative, as a nurse what can one to do improve upon existing facility polices and where do we go from here to protect our patients.
The insertion presents a strong possibility of introducing an infection and if the patient had no pre-existing infectious process, the end result may be a urinary tract infection related to the catheter. The presence of a urethral catheter bypasses many of the bladder’s natural defenses and provides a direct connection from the colonized perineum to the usually sterile bladder. Entry of bacteria into the bladder can occur either at initial catheterization or later by ascent of the catheter tubing, for example, when a catheter bag is changed (Dailly, 2011). This is the very step that we as healthcare professionals must work in unison to deem if this is really necessary and if so when should catheterization be discontinued and by whose judgment.
Method
In acute care settings, urinary tract infections account for at least 35% of all hospital-acquired infections, with 80% of those being attributed to the use of indwelling catheters (Bernard, 2012). With these statistics healthcare providers must ask the question if a catheter is really necessary, but not only that they must be given a protocol to follow. Pellow, 2010 along with Critical Care Nurse 2012 have proposed the
References: (2012). Catheter-Associated urinary tract infections. Critical Care Nurse, 32 (2), 75. Bernard, Michael S., Hunter, Kathleen F., Moore, Katherine N. (2012). A review of strategies to decrease the duration of indwelling urethral catheters and potentially reduce the incidence of catheter associated urinary tract infections. Urologic Nursing, 32 (1), 29-37. Bynum, Debra., Carr, Carlye., Epperson, Carla., Gotelli, John M., Merryman, Priscilla., McElveen (2008). A quality improvement project to reduce the complications associated with indwelling urinary catheters. Urologic Nursing, 28 (6), 465-467. Dailly, Sue (2011). Prevention of indwelling catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Nursing Older People, 23(2), 14-19. Pellowe, Carol., Pratt, Robert. (2010). Good practice in management of patients with urethral catheters. Nursing Older People, 22 (8), 25-29.