Abstract
BackgroundCatheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) can be fatal, and are a source of avoidable expense for patients and hospitals. Prolonged catheterization increases infection risk, and avoiding catheters is crucial for infection prevention. Male external urinary catheters are recommended as a tool to prevent the need for indwelling catheterization. Female external urinary catheters (FEUCs) have intermittently been marketed without wide adoption; one has recently become available but published data is limited.ObjectiveThis retrospective observational study was conducted to investigate the effect of FEUCs on indwelling catheter use and female CAUTIs.MethodsFEUCs were introduced to intensive care units. CAUTI rates and indwelling catheter days were obtained before and after the introduction of the devices.Results CAUTI rates decreased from 3.14 per 1000 catheter days to 1.42 per 1000 catheter days (p=0.013). Female indwelling catheter days decreased, while overall intensive care patient days increased.ConclusionsIntroduction of a FEUC was associated with a statistically significant decrease in CAUTI rate among female intensive care patients. The FEUC may prevent the need for indwelling catheters in some situations.
Highlights
Indwelling urinary catheters (IUC) are commonly used in hospitals, and have a number of potential complications including catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) [1]
The Female external urinary catheters (FEUCs) may prevent the need for indwelling catheters in some situations
The PureWick FEUC (Bard and Purewick, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey) has recently become available, but published data is so far limited to a single case series without systematic outcomes, a limited local investigation showing a decrease in IUC utilization after implementation without a decrease in Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), and one inpatient study demonstrating an initial decrease in CAUTI which was not sustained after one year [9,16,17,18]
Summary
Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) can be fatal, and are a source of avoidable expense for patients and hospitals. Prolonged catheterization increases infection risk, and avoiding catheters is crucial for infection prevention. Male external urinary catheters are recommended as a tool to prevent the need for indwelling catheterization. Female external urinary catheters (FEUCs) have intermittently been marketed without wide adoption; one has recently become available but published data is limited
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