Decreasing the Use of Indwelling Urinary Catheters

A multifaceted quality-improvement project significantly reduced the percentage of patients with indwelling urinary catheters and the number of such catheters placed without provider orders.

In the U.S., the Foley catheter (FC) — an indwelling urinary drainage system — is used in up to 25% of hospitalized patients and accounts for about 80% of nosocomial urinary tract infections. However, 21% to 31% of patients with FCs do not meet criteria for catheterization.

To address this problem, infection control experts at a Veterans Affairs hospital instituted a multifaceted, hospital-wide project to reduce unnecessary use of FCs. The project involved multiple phases over 7 years. During a preintervention phase, weekly audits were conducted to determine the baseline prevalence of FC use and to identify unordered or unnecessary FC placement. During phase I, a bundle based on staff education, system redesign, and feedback was implemented.…

Reviewing Author

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)