Urinary Catheter-associated UTI for ICU Patients

Why is this important?

This infection in the urinary bladder occurs in a patient who has a tube (catheter) in the bladder for the drainage of urine.  The urinary tract is the most common site of infections that occur in a hospital setting.  Generally, these infections are mild and easily treated by removing the catheter and sometimes prescribing antibiotics.

 

If a urinary catheter is left in place for a long period of time, bacteria will grow in it.  A harmful infection may occur.  Mild cases may disappear without treatment.  But because of the risk of infection spreading to the kidneys, treatment is usually recommended.  These infections can increase the cost of care, length of stay and mortality rates.

How WellSpan Compares

The following shows the percentage of ICU patients who developed a catheter-associated urinary tract infection.

Unit of Measurement: Percentage

A lower score is better than a higher score.

York Hospital result added on 12/31/2008
Gettysburg Hospital result added on 07/01/2009

What we are doing to improve our performance.

While it is not possible to prevent all of these infections, it is believed that a large number of them can be avoided by proper management of the catheter.  One of the most important measures to prevent these infections is to only have a drainage catheter in place when it is absolutely necessary.  WellSpan’s patient care providers work with the patient to remove these catheters as soon as they are no longer needed.   Other important measures WellSpan takes to prevent these infections include hand hygiene (washing hands for 15 seconds or using a sanitizer gel or foam) before the catheter is placed, using sterile equipment and aseptic technique during catheter insertion, and using a closed drainage system.  Once the catheter is in place, patient care providers make sure the urine drainage bag is positioned below the level of the bladder and avoids kinks in the tubing that would cause the flow of urine to be interrupted.  Finally, care providers perform hand hygiene and use aseptic technique whenever they need to access the catheter.