Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil.
Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is one of the most common health care‒associated infections in the critical care setting.
A quasi-experimental study involving multiple interventions to reduce the incidence of CAUTI was conducted in a medical-surgical intensive care unit (ICU) and in 2 step-down units (SDUs). Between June 2005 and December 2007 (phase 1), we implemented some Centers for Disease Control and Prevention‒recommended evidence-based practices. Between January 2008 and July 2010 (phase 2), we intervened to improve compliance with these practices at the same time that performance monitoring was being done at the bedside, and we implemented the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's bladder bundle for all ICU and SDU patients requiring urinary catheters.
There was a statistically significant reduction in the rate of CAUTI in the ICU, from 7.6 per 1,000 catheter-days (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.6-8.6) before the intervention to 5.0 per 1,000 catheter-days (95% CI, 4.2-5.8; P < .001) after the intervention. There also was a statistically significant reduction in the rate of CAUTI in the SDUs, from 15.3 per 1,000 catheter-days (95% CI, 13.9-16.6) before the intervention to 12.9 per 1,000 catheter-days (95% CI, 11.6-14.2) after the intervention (P = .014).
Our findings suggest that reducing CAUTI rates in the ICU setting is a complex process that involves multiple performance measures and interventions that can be applied to SDU settings as well.
Written by:
Marra AR, Sampaio Camargo TZ, Gonçalves P, Sogayar AM, Moura DF Jr, Guastelli LR, Alves Rosa CA, da Silva Victor E, Pavão Dos Santos OF, Edmond MB. Are you the author?
Reference: Am J Infect Control. 2011 Jun 24. Epub ahead of print.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2011.01.013
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 21704427
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