Recommendations of Saint et al for Avoiding a Urinary Tract Infection Associated with a Urinary Catheter

Description

Saint et al identified a number of factors which may impact the risk of a urinary tract infection in a patient related to use of a urinary catheter. Prevention of catheter-related urinary tract infections can significantly improve patient care. The authors are from the University of Michigan and other universities around the United States.

Parameter	Good Practice	Poor Practice
use of alternative urine collection systems instead of an indwelling catheter	yes	no
insertion of a urinary tract catheter	only when needed	indiscriminate
use of a urinary catheter only for convenience	never	yes
adherence to proper insertion technique	always	may neglect precautions
use of antimicrobial-coated catheters in high risk patients	yes	no
monitor the amount of residual urine	yes	no
physician aware of catheter use in a patient	yes	no
removal of a urinary catheter	as soon as possible	left in long-term

where:

• It is surprising how often the attending physician is unaware that a hospitalized patient has an indwelling urinary catheter.

Additional factors to consider:

(1) Monitoring the patient should also include urinalysis with culture as needed, plus observing the patient for signs of infection.

(2) A closed drainage system can reduce the introduction of bacteria.

To read more or access our algorithms and calculators, please log in or register.

Description

Specialty

ICD-10