Using a criteria-based reminder to reduce use of indwelling urinary catheters and decrease urinary tract infections

Duration of indwelling urinary catheterization is an important risk factor for urinary tract infection.

To determine whether a reminder approach reduces the use of urinary catheters and the incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

A randomized control trial was performed in 2 respiratory intensive care units in a 2990-bed tertiary referral medical center. Patients who had urinary catheters in place for more than 2 days from April through November 2008 were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (use of a criteria-based reminder to remove the catheter) or the control group (no reminder).

A total of 278 patients were recruited. Utilization rate of indwelling urinary catheters was decreased by 22% in the intervention group compared with the control group (relative risk, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.76-0.80; P < .001). The intervention significantly shortened the median duration of catheterization (7 days vs 11 days for the control group; P < .001). The success rate for removing the catheters in the intervention group by day 7 was 88%. The reminder intervention reduced the incidence of catheter-associated infections by 48% (relative risk, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.32-0.86; P = .009) in the intervention group compared with the control group.

Use of a criteria-based reminder to remove indwelling urinary catheters can diminish the use of urinary catheterization and reduce the likelihood of catheter-associated urinary infections. This reminder approach can prevent catheter-associated urinary infections, and its use should be strongly considered as a way to enhance the safety of patients.