Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI)
Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI)
Why This Measure is Important
- A urinary catheter is a thin tube that is inserted into the bladder through the urethra to drain urine when your child cannot urinate on his/her own.
- Infections can sometimes occur when bacteria travel around or through the tube and enter the urinary tract.
- CAUTIs can make patients sicker, extend hospital stays, and require treatment with antibiotics. These are all important reasons why we strive to reduce the risk and rate of these infections.
- The risk of infection increases with the number of days a catheter is used. Proper care during insertion and ongoing care of the foley catheter contributes significantly to the reduction of infections.
- The catheter should only be used when absolutely necessary.
What You Can Do
- Always clean your and your child's hands before and after doing catheter care.
- Always keep your urine bag below the level of your child's bladder.
- Do not tug or pull on the tubing.
- Do not twist or kink the catheter tubing.
- Ask your healthcare provider each day if your child still needs the catheter.
How We Measure
- The number of related infections per 1,000 catheter days. Each day your child has a catheter in place counts as one catheter line day.
- Our goal is to maintain infection rates lower than the national benchmark, ultimately driving towards zero.
What We Are Doing to Improve
- Implemented a set of best practices, called bundles, to minimize the risk of these infections.
- Monitor and report proper hand washing practices for all health care staff.
- Participate in Solutions for Patient Safety, a national improvement collaborative focused on eliminating all patient harm by sharing ideas, data, and best practices among United States children’s hospitals.
- The healthcare team reviews if the catheter is needed every day and removes when no longer needed.
