Early Discontinuation and its Effects on Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection

Abstract

Catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) are a prevalent issue in hospitals today, and account for a significant number of hospital acquired infections. Early discontinuation has been shown to decrease infection rates drastically; however, ensuring that catheters are removed in a timely manner can be difficult. Several hospitals have implemented reminder systems which prompt nurses or physicians to evaluate the status of the indwelling catheter; this guides them to decide if it is time to remove it, based on certain criteria. The purpose of this project is to determine the overall effectiveness of early discontinuation with reminder systems, on reducing the rate of catheter associated urinary tract infections on patients throughout their hospital stay. Our literature review consisted of randomized controlled trials, quasi-experiments with comparison groups, and numerous pre-test post-test designs. The studies concluded that the implementation of the reminder systems led to greater reduction in the rates of catheter associated urinary tract infections. By using evidenced based practice, nurses are empowered to intervene, allowing for greater patient safety, and a smoother flow of patient care.

Key words: CAUTI, reminder systems, nurse-led interventions, early discontinuation, hospital acquired infections, infection reduction, catheter removal, etc.