Defining the problem
How We Know CAUTI is a Problem
According to Kennedy et al., (2013) CAUTI’s are identified as one of the most common healthcare related infections. As a result of the high incidence of CAUTI’s, in 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, stopped reimbursing hospitals for the costs of care for patients who develop a CAUTI during hospital stays (Kennedy et al., 2013). Unfortunately, there are approximately“One million catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) per year, associated with an additional cost of $676 per admission (or $2836 when complicated by bacteremia)” (Meddings et al., 2013, p.1). It is evident by the statistics presented, catheter-associated urinary tract infections remain a problem …show more content…
9). Possible complications of a CAUTI are prolonged hospital stays, unnecessary costs to both the patient and the healthcare organizations and poor health outcomes for patients. In addition to poor health outcomes and unnecessary costs to both patients and healthcare organizations, CAUTI’s place the patient at risk for bacteremia (the presence of bacteria in the blood stream) which can easily result in the patient becoming septic, which can often result in the death of a patient. Therefore, the prevention of CAUTI’s is crucial and significant to patient care. It is crucial that healthcare providers receive proper education on how to insert a urinary catheter using sterile technique, and also both patients and healthcare providers need to be aware of how to properly assess a catheter, provide proper catheter care, and signs and symptoms of a urinary tract infection to monitor for and report. The prevention and the early detection of CAUTI’s can result in better outcomes for the patients and the healthcare …show more content…
The article by Meddings et al., (2013) explains the national goal that was set for the year 2014. The goal was to “reduce CAUTI by 25% and reduce urinary catheter use by 50% by 2014” (Meddings et al., 2013, p.1). With the national goal to be a decreased incidence of CAUTI, interventions were implemented nation-wide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there was “A 6 percent increase in CAUTI between 2009 and 2013; although initial data from 2014 seem to indicate that these infections have started to decrease” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015, p. 1). These statistics indicate interventions implemented to prevent the incidence of CAUTIs were effective in 2014. Unfortunately, there is still an estimated there are more than 13,000 deaths associated with Urinary tract infections in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,2015, January). Therefore, interventions need to continue to be implemented to decrease the incidence of unnecessary catheter use and the incidence of CAUTIs with hopes to reach Medicare’s goal of making CAUTIs a “never event” (Meddings et al., 2013,
How We Know CAUTI is a Problem
According to Kennedy et al., (2013) CAUTI’s are identified as one of the most common healthcare related infections. As a result of the high incidence of CAUTI’s, in 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, stopped reimbursing hospitals for the costs of care for patients who develop a CAUTI during hospital stays (Kennedy et al., 2013). Unfortunately, there are approximately“One million catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) per year, associated with an additional cost of $676 per admission (or $2836 when complicated by bacteremia)” (Meddings et al., 2013, p.1). It is evident by the statistics presented, catheter-associated urinary tract infections remain a problem …show more content…
9). Possible complications of a CAUTI are prolonged hospital stays, unnecessary costs to both the patient and the healthcare organizations and poor health outcomes for patients. In addition to poor health outcomes and unnecessary costs to both patients and healthcare organizations, CAUTI’s place the patient at risk for bacteremia (the presence of bacteria in the blood stream) which can easily result in the patient becoming septic, which can often result in the death of a patient. Therefore, the prevention of CAUTI’s is crucial and significant to patient care. It is crucial that healthcare providers receive proper education on how to insert a urinary catheter using sterile technique, and also both patients and healthcare providers need to be aware of how to properly assess a catheter, provide proper catheter care, and signs and symptoms of a urinary tract infection to monitor for and report. The prevention and the early detection of CAUTI’s can result in better outcomes for the patients and the healthcare …show more content…
The article by Meddings et al., (2013) explains the national goal that was set for the year 2014. The goal was to “reduce CAUTI by 25% and reduce urinary catheter use by 50% by 2014” (Meddings et al., 2013, p.1). With the national goal to be a decreased incidence of CAUTI, interventions were implemented nation-wide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there was “A 6 percent increase in CAUTI between 2009 and 2013; although initial data from 2014 seem to indicate that these infections have started to decrease” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015, p. 1). These statistics indicate interventions implemented to prevent the incidence of CAUTIs were effective in 2014. Unfortunately, there is still an estimated there are more than 13,000 deaths associated with Urinary tract infections in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,2015, January). Therefore, interventions need to continue to be implemented to decrease the incidence of unnecessary catheter use and the incidence of CAUTIs with hopes to reach Medicare’s goal of making CAUTIs a “never event” (Meddings et al., 2013,