Multidisciplinary Project to Prevent Postoperative Urinary Tract Infection

Postoperative urinary tract infections (UTIs) are associated with increased lengths of stay, inpatient costs, and mortality. Review of institutional data from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) NSQIP revealed opportunities to improve practices with respect to urinary catheter (Foley) insertion, catheter care, adherence to diagnosis and prevention protocols, and ACS NSQIP reporting.

A multidisciplinary quality improvement team convened and implemented interventions based on a literature review and analysis of institutional drivers of postoperative UTI. The team educated the ACS NSQIP surgical clinical reviewers and clinical teams about UTI diagnostic criteria and prevention, trained staff in proper catheterization technique, and provided performance feedback. The team also developed kits with supplies and instructions for patients who were discharged home with catheters, along with an instructional video. The investigators evaluated project effectiveness by comparing pre- and postintervention process measures and rates of postoperative UTI.

After interventions, compliance rates improved for hand hygiene (62% to 83%, p = 0.04), precleansing of the periurethral area (66% to 97%, p = 0.001), and catheter positioning (41% to 93%, p < 0.001), and the composite performance (10% to 73%, p < 0.001). Surgery residents' scores on a UTI knowledge assessment improved from 71% to 81% (p = 0.005). The majority of residents and staff strongly agreed that the training sessions would change their practice (57% and 69%, respectively). The unadjusted rate of postoperative UTIs at our institution decreased from 1.55% to 0.69% (p = 0.016), corresponding to an improvement in the ACS NSQIP odds ratio from 1.51 to 0.86.

A series of interventions, including provider training, patient education, and audits of practice with performance feedback, are associated with improvements in both practice and the incidence of postoperative UTI.