Urinary Tract Infection Rates in Hospitals

  

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Yesterday we blogged about the growing problem our healthcare system is facing with hospital-acquired infections. Today, we’ll investigate a bit further into these infections by examining urinary tract infections which are most common HAI. According to recent statistics, UTIs account for around 40% of all hospital-acquired infections which makes them crucial to stop.

Recent studies have concluded that “the risk of infection increases as the duration of catheterization increases”[1] so the best solution may be to reduce patients’ length of stay in hospitals. The problem is that less “than 1 in 10 hospitals in this country used [the simple methods] for preventing unnecessary catheterization”.

This is dangerous because urinary tract infections like other nosocomial infections increase morbidity and mortality, prolong hospital stay and increase patient care costs. The methods of preventing these infections are hazy and not fully agreed upon which makes patient care tough. 

Patients and their loved ones can do their part to decrease the chance of contracting a UTI. While in the hospital, patients are advised to ask their health care provider every day if the catheter is still necessary. The CDC also has guidelines for patients, and recommends that patients do the following when coming home from the hospital with a catheter still inserted:

- Make sure to ask questions so as to understand how to care for a catheter once home from the hospital

- Contact a doctor or nurse immediately if any symptoms of a urinary tract infection develop, such as a burning pain in the lower abdomen, fever, or an increase in the frequency of urination

- Always clean hands before and during catheter care

- Keep urine bags below bladder level

- Do not tug or pull on the tubing, or twist or kink the tubing

While a catheterized patient is recovering at home, highly-trained health care providers will be able to monitor a patient’s catheter, preventing infection and giving peace of mind to patients and their families.