A group of five medical societies released new recommendations aimed at preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections in acute care hospitals Aug. 25.
The guidelines, published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, promote a multidisciplinary approach to preventing CAUTI infections. The resource suggests alternatives to indwelling catheters, outlines safe insertion and maintenance practices, and encourages timely catheter removal. Other recommended practices include ensuring supplies for both catheter and non-catheter urinary management are readily available, positioning catheters to avoid tubing kinks that elevate infection risk and educating healthcare professionals about responsible urine culture stewardship.
The new recommendations are an update to 2014 guidelines released by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, The Joint Commission, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, and the American Hospital Association. Recommendations are developed through a combination of systematic literature reviews, evidence evaluation, practical considerations and expert consensus.
See the full guidelines here.