Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection Paper

A catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is an infection in the urinary system, which includes the bladder and the kidneys, through the travel of bacteria along the catheter. CAUTIs are one of the most prevalent hospital acquired infections in the United States. They account for 34% of all hospital acquired infections. “More than 500,000 CAUTIs are reported annually in the United States, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality and excess resource utilization” (Fink & Capezuti, 2012, p.1). However, with the implementation of nurse driven protocols, the rate of these infections can be greatly reduced. With the reduction in the rate of CAUTIs, there will be a decrease in hospital cost, length of stay, and the degree of patients’ discomfort in an acute care setting (Alexaitis & Broome, 2014). Many national guidelines have been developed in order to aid in the prevention and the detection of CAUTIs. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published guidelines for prevention of CAUTI in 1981, and these were updated in 2009. These guidelines provide recommendations for catheter use, catheter insertion, catheter care, and implementation of …show more content…
It is important for nurses to use aseptic technique when inserting the catheter. Nurse managers should enforce staff to use proper hand hygiene, maintain the catheters properly, and remove them in a timely manner (Saint et al., 2016). According to the AACN (2017), it is important to document all instances of indwelling urinary catheters, including the insertion date, indication, and removal date. “Twenty-five percent of inpatients and up to 90% of patients in an ICU have a urinary catheter during hospitalization, often without an appropriate indication. Indwelling urinary catheters are placed without sufficient rationales, and/or remain in place after indications expire” (AACN, 2017, pg.