Protocolized Urine Sampling is Associated with Reduced Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infections: A Pre- and...

Area of Science:

• Infectious Disease
• Urology
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Standard urine sampling can lead to false positives for catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) due to colonization.
• There is a need for improved urine sampling techniques to accurately diagnose CAUTI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel urine sampling and testing protocol designed to reduce CAUTI rates.
• To assess the impact of protocolized urine sampling on infection rates and catheter utilization.

Main Methods:

• A pre- and postintervention study with a control group was conducted at two hospital campuses.
• The intervention involved a protocol for urine sampling and testing, including catheter removal before sampling and pre-culture screening.
• CAUTI rates and urinary catheter days were compared between epochs and between the test and control campuses.

Main Results:

• The intervention significantly reduced CAUTI cases per 1000 patients by 77% and per 1000 catheter days by 63%.
• Urinary catheter days per patient decreased by 37% following protocol implementation.
• Propensity score-matched analysis showed greater reductions in CAUTI and catheter use at the test campus compared to the control campus.

Conclusions:

• Protocolized urine sampling and testing effectively minimizes contamination, leading to significantly reduced CAUTI rates.
• The novel protocol is associated with decreased urinary catheter utilization.
• This approach improves the accuracy of CAUTI diagnosis and contributes to better patient care and resource management.