Expert guidance highlights practices to reduce prevalence of catheter-associated UTIs

(Press-News.org) CHICAGO (April 8, 2014) – New expert guidance highlights strategies for implementing and prioritizing efforts to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) in hospitals. The practice recommendations, published in the May issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, are the first in a series to be published over several months sharing evidence-based strategies to help healthcare professionals effectively control and prevent the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

A Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals: 2014 Updates is a collaborative effort led by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Hospital Association, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, and The Joint Commission. The 2014 release updates the initial 2008 Compendium publication.

"Because of the widespread use of catheters, urinary tract infections are one of the most common infections acquired by patients," said Evelyn Lo, MD, co-lead author of the guidelines. "These strategies will help hospitals implement best practices for CAUTI prevention to curb catheter overuse and misuse, and foster a culture of accountability from the C-Suite to the front lines of medical care."

The strategies urge healthcare professionals to use a catheter only if there is clear clinical indication to do so and, if used, to discontinue as soon as possible. The updated guidelines also provide basic practices for acute care hospitals on the appropriate use of catheters including:

Insertion and Management: To avoid complications due to misuse of catheters, the authors highlight protocols that address proper insertion and maintenance techniques to prevent CAUTIs. Healthcare Personnel Education: To reduce overuse, the guidance emphasizes the importance of education among healthcare professionals to highlight alternatives to catheters, as well as stressing the need to question in each patient's individual care plan if the device is actually necessary. Surveillance: To record progress in CAUTI prevention, each hospital is advised to create a program that can spotlight effective strategies and areas for improvement.

All guidelines were reviewed by an expert panel and numerous medical societies. A new addition to the updated guidelines includes examples of implementation strategies and provides references that hospitals can access for more detailed information.

"Preventing healthcare-associated infections is a national priority," said Deborah Yokoe, MD, MPH, who co-led the development of the Compendium. "Although substantial progress has been achieved, considerable deficiencies remain in our ability to efficiently and effectively translate knowledge about HAI prevention into reliable, sustainable practice. The Compendium focuses on an integrated approach to infection prevention and control, steeped in science and scaled to facilitate adoption of the practices and improve the quality of care for patients."

Seven Compendium articles will be published in the May through August issues of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, and will include strategies to prevent CAUTI, Clostridium difficile, surgical site infections, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, and ventilator-associated pneumonia, plus an article focused on hand hygiene improvement strategies. Each article contains infection prevention strategies, performance measures, and example implementation approaches.

INFORMATION: Evelyn Lo, Lindsay E. Nicolle, Susan E. Coffin, Carolyn Gould, Lisa Maragakis, Jennifer Meddings, David Pegues, Ann Marie Pettis, Sanjay Saint, Deborah Yokoe. "Strategies to Prevent Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract infections in Acute Care Hospitals: 2014 Update." Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology 35:5 (May 2014)

Published through a partnership between the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and The University of Chicago Press, Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology provides original, peer-reviewed scientific articles for anyone involved with an infection control or epidemiology program in a hospital or healthcare facility. ICHE is ranked 13 out of 158 journals in its discipline in the latest Web of Knowledge Journal Citation Reports from Thomson Reuters.

About the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America SHEA is a professional society representing more than 2,000 physicians and other healthcare professionals globally with expertise in and passion for healthcare epidemiology and infection prevention. SHEA's mission is to prevent and control healthcare-associated infections and advance the field of healthcare epidemiology. The society promotes science and research, develops expert guidelines and guidance for healthcare workers, provides high-quality education, promotes antimicrobial stewardship, encourages transparency in public reporting related to HAIs, works to ensure a safe healthcare environment, and facilitates the exchange of knowledge. SHEA upholds the value and critical contributions of healthcare epidemiology to improving patient care and healthcare worker safety in all healthcare settings. Visit SHEA online at http://www.shea-online.org, http://www.facebook.com/SHEApreventingHAIs and @SHEA_Epi.

About the Infectious Diseases Society of America The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is an organization of physicians, scientists, and other health care professionals dedicated to promoting health through excellence in infectious diseases research, education, prevention, and patient care. The Society, which has nearly 10,000 members, was founded in 1963 and is based in Arlington, VA. For more information, see http://www.idsociety.org.

About the American Hospital Association The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks and other providers of care. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information visit the website at http://www.aha.org.

About the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology APIC's mission is to create a safer world through prevention of infection. The association's more than 15,000 members direct infection prevention programs that save lives and improve the bottom line for hospitals and other healthcare facilities. APIC advances its mission through patient safety, implementation science, competencies and certification, advocacy, and data standardization. Visit APIC online at http://www.apic.org. Follow APIC on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apic and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/APICInfectionPreventionandYou. For information on what patients and families can do, visit APIC's Infection Prevention and You website at http://www.apic.org/infectionpreventionandyou.

About The Joint Commission Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 20,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 10,300 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,500 other health care organizations that provide nursing and rehabilitation center care, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission currently certifies more than 2,000 disease-specific care programs, focused on the care of patients with chronic illnesses such as stroke, joint replacement, stroke rehabilitation, heart failure and many others. The Joint Commission also provides health care staffing services certification for more than 750 staffing offices. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at http://www.jointcommission.org.