Why Does Grandma Have a UTI: Incontinence Pads, Indwelling Catheters and the Geriatric Population [Poster]

Abstract

The annual cost of nursing home admissions due to urinary tract infections is six billion dollars. This evidence-based practice project addresses the question: does the use of incontinence pads and indwelling catheters increase the risk of urinary tract infections in the geriatric population? We searched the databases Medline, Cinahl, Cochrane Review, and ProQuest bringing together various quantitative studies. Out of eighteen studies analyzed, the majority of these studies suggest that the risk of infections increases with the use of incontinence pads and indwelling urinary catheters. Implications for nursing practice include decreasing the use of pads in elderly patients and working to control urinary incontinence to reduce the numbers of urinary tract infections. [Poster]