Decreasing nosocomial urinary tract infection in a large academic community hospital

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is the second most prevalent complication at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, occurring in 3% of all patients admitted over a 12-month period and contributing to a significant increase in costs. Utilizing data from CareScience's Care Management System, an online decision support tool, in conjunction with hospital laboratory data, and without manual chart review, approximately 20% of all UTIs diagnosed were found to be potentially nosocomial, and were often treated with an expensive broad-spectrum antibiotic. A multidisciplinary hospital committee developed interventions to study and address these findings. The National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance program was initiated on selected units of the hospital; strict catheter placement guidelines and a postoperative urinary retention protocol were developed to minimize catheter use and dwell time, a cost-benefit analysis was conducted, antibiotic use for UTIs was evaluated, and system-wide education was conducted for physicians, residents, and nurses.