from Potugari BR, Umukoro PE, Vedre JG 2020
published in CM&R 18(4): 140-144
DOI 10.3121/cmr.2020.1533

Multimodal Intervention Approach Reduces Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infections in a Rural Tertiary Care Center.

Rates of urinary tract infections (CAUTI) can be significantly reduced by multimodal intervention bundles involving infection control, physicians, and nursing.

This study aimed to compare the incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) before and after implementing a multimodal intervention approach in a rural tertiary hospital. The intervention included physician and nurse education, reminders, and best practices for eliminating CAUTIs, among other tactics. Data on CAUTI incidence and urinary catheter days were collected before and after the intervention. After one year, the CAUTI event rates decreased from 27 to 9 events (66%), and the standardised infection rate (SIR) for CAUTI was reduced by 60.2%. The study suggests that a team effort involving infection control, education, and proper equipment use can significantly reduce CAUTI incidence.

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