1. Hot Topics in Health & Care - Update of Urinary Catheter Care
Mandy Butler
Lead Continence/Urodynamic Nurse Specialist
Gloucestershire Continence Service

2. Urinary Catheterisation can KILL
‘While essential for some patients, this invasive procedure is sometimes unjustified and even forgotten once in place’
Saint et al 2005
‘It is one of the most common healthcare interventions but carries the risk of significant danger to patients from infection’
Pratt et al 2001

3. SHOULD WE BE SURPRISED THAT INDWELLING CATHETERS CAUSE PROBLEMS?
Whether transurethral or supra-public:
We breach the body’s physical barrier into a sterile cavity
Catheterisation is a traumatic procedure –both insertion and removal
We insert a device that can be contaminated either extra or intra-luminally with the body’s own flora
Cross contamination from other patients can occur through poor practices (hand hygiene, handling, emptying, etc.)
Physically there will always be a reservoir of urine in the bladder due to the balloon –potential for a bacterial soup
We use materials that are conducive to biofilm formation

4. Small tube – big problem
There is growing evidence that urinary catheters are over-used and that many could be avoided
1in 5 people staying in hospital will have an indwelling catheter
In the BBC (scrubbing up ) health report last year (4/7/15) Small tube – big problem

5. These documents support implementation of local policy (updated 2015)
What evidence- based guidelines do we have for preventing Healthcare-Associated Infections (HCAI)?
Epic Guidelines (2001,2004,updated 2014)
National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE 2003)
Department of Health (2007) - Saving Lives (care bundle no.6)
These documents support implementation of local policy (updated 2015)

6. Epic Guidelines - preventing infections associated with the use of indwelling urethral catheters
Assessing the need for catheterisation
Selection of catheter type and system
Catheter insertion
Catheter maintenance
Education of patients, relatives and healthcare workers
epic2: National evidence-based guidelines
for preventing healthcare-associated infections in NHS hospitals in England

7. CAUTI
NICE (2012) developed infection control guidelines for primary and community care which addressed the prevention of infections during long term urinary catheterisation.

8. How are we ensuring compliance with best evidence-based practice
How are we ensuring compliance with best evidence-based practice ? Supporting strategies to monitor progress:
Safety Thermometer
Patient Safety First 2011 (Safety Express)
Energise for Excellence (E4E)

9. STOP ! THINK ! CONSIDER !
Catheterising patients places them in significant danger of acquiring a urinary tract infection (CAUTI)
The per day risk of the development of bacteriuria appears comparable throughout catheterisation (3-6%) but the cumulative risk increases with duration of catheterisation
Around 50% of hospitalised patients catheterised longer than 7-10 days contact bacteriuria
20-30% of these patients will develop symptoms of catheter-associated urinary tract infection UTI
Many of these infections are serious and lead to significant morbidity and mortality
epic2:National evidence-based guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated infections in NHS hospitals in England

10. CAUTI There is likely to be Bacteria in the bladder after 14 days
Generally resistant to antibiotic therapy
Only treat if symptomatic as the bladder and catheter are colonised by more than one organism

11. Continuing progress for the COUNTY of GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Catheter Care Plans
Countywide Catheter care passport

12. What is the Catheter Passport ?
Provides information for patients about their indwelling urinary catheter & how to care for it
A tool to improve communication between healthcare professionals and can be taken to healthcare appointments or hospital stay
Developed to improve continuity of good catheter care for our patients in Gloucestershire.

13. Key messages in Passport
Catheter care & tips on living with a catheter
Personal hygiene
Prevention of infection – including hand hygiene
Avoiding dehydration
Trouble shooting
How to seek help
Dates of when catheter inserted
Record of CAUTIs

14. Catheterisation details

15. Prevention of dehydration
This can also be used in partnership with a drinks tracker in the community GHNHSFT currently testing and trialing

16. Nurse documentation if CAUTI confirmed

17. IN SUMMARY
Urinary catheterisation is an unavoidable necessity in many patients
Catheterisation is not without costs –both financial and personal
We need to justify every insertion and determine there are no alternative solutions
We need to justify every day (in an acute setting) that a catheter is not removed
Patients must not be allowed to get lost ”in the system”
All patients with long term indwelling catheters must be followed up in the Community with plans for continuing care – TWOC’s inplace and catheter passports
The patient must be educated in the care of themselves to minimise the risk of infection

18. Adult Continence Service Contacts
Helpline for professional advice on continence problems phone or
For queries on home delivery of continence products
Phone ( Mon - Fri 0900– 1530)
Fax
Website on intranet A-Z under Continence.

19. Thank you for listening