Infection: Simple reminder systems can greatly reduce catheter-associated UTI episodes.

摘要

Research has shown that urinary catheters are often placed unnecessarily, remain in place without the awareness of physicians, and not removed promptly when no longer required. Prolonged catheterization, besides its detrimental effects on patient comfort, mobility and length of hospitalization, is a major risk factor for catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI)-a complication for which US hospitals no longer receive additional payment from Medicare/Medicaid on account of its preventability. Several systems that remind clinicians about the presence of an indwelling urinary catheter have been developed with the aim of reducing the frequency of unnecessary catheterization and, consequently, the rate of CAUTI episodes. Meddings and colleagues at the University of Michigan performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the benefits of these reminder systems.