Hospitals ignore urinary tract infections associated with catheters

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common nosocomial infections in the United States. There is convincing evidence that reducing the frequency and duration of use of the urinary catheter prevents nosocomial urinary tract infections. Over 80% of patients with a urinary tract infection during hospitalization have recorded the use of urinary catheters for a long time. It should be noted that the federal preferential medical insurance program for people over 65 and disabled, established by Congress in 1965, no longer reimburses the cost of treatment for preventable complications that occurred during hospitalization.

To assess current practice in preventing nosocomial urinary tract infections and other nosocomial infections associated with the use of medical devices, a written survey was conducted with infection control specialists in American hospitals with additional ICUs 50 beds (n = 600) and veteran hospitals (n = 119).

72% of the respondents replied to the questionnaires sent. In total, 56% of hospitals do not have a system for monitoring the date of insertion of a urinary catheter and in 74% of hospitals, the duration of use of the catheter is not fixed. Only 30% of hospitals reported regular use of antimicrobial coated urinary catheters and portable ultrasound scanners to quantify urinary retention; in 14% of men's hospitals, drainage systems with condom catheters and suprapubic catheters were used.

Ultrasound systems (49% vs 29%; p = 0.001), drainage systems with a catheter as a condom (46% vs 12 were more often used in hospitals veterans compared to regular hospitals%; p = 0.001) and suprapubic catheters (22% vs 9%; p = 0.001). In ordinary hospitals, urinary catheters with antimicrobial coating were used more often (30% vs 14%; p = 0.001). Despite the proven efficacy and high relevance, urinary catheter reminder systems have been used in less than 10% of hospitals.

As the results of the study showed, nosocomial urinary tract infections remain outside the attention of infection control specialists due to significantly lower severity and mortality than surgical infections, pneumonia and sepsis, as well as due to the relatively simple and relatively inexpensive treatment.