Date

3-2021

Department

School of Nursing

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Chair

Cynthia Goodrich

Keywords

Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection, CAUTI, CAUTI Prevention, Preventing HAIs, Urinary Tract Infections, Catheter Infection Prevention

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences | Nursing

Abstract

This project aims to determine when a catheter should be removed in the intensive care unit to prevent premature removal. Subsequent multiple straight catheterizations may introduce bacteria into the urethra and result in hospital-acquired infections (HAI). The aim is to reduce the incidence of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI), a preventable HAI. A change in protocols is needed to match evidence-based research on the best practice methods. Strategies are proposed to decrease the risk of CAUTI, and limitations are discussed. Poorer strategies require more exclusions than good ones. The findings indicate more research is needed on newer strategies to determine the optimal stay-in time for foley catheters in ICU. The study focused on research articles that met ethical standards for any ages and either gender, as all are at risk of CAUTI, although women and the elderly have a higher risk. These incur increased hospital costs and extended length of time of stay. Findings also indicate that timing of catheter removal has an impact on the risk of acquiring CAUTI. The significance of these findings is they can be used as the basis for protocols, thus reducing the incidence of CAUTI, provided the guidelines are followed.

Included in

Nursing Commons

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