Using Data to Drive and Sustain Practice Changes in Conquering Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A 1,541 bed academic hospital had 65 catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) throughout 8 adult and pediatric intensive care units (ICUs) in 2015. The standardized infection ratio (SIR) 0.53 placed the institution at a “lower than expected” SIR in the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) system. This was a decrease in CAUTI events of 108 in 2014 and a SIR of 1.48 resulting in a “higher than expected” NHSN benchmark for the institution. A CAUTI bundle education was provided to nursing and medical staff who insert catheters from January- September 2015. An interdisciplinary CAUTI Prevention Charter utilized a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) method to reduce and sustain CAUTIs below expected benchmark levels.