Hospitals participating in the first four cohorts of an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality program led by the AHA’s Health Research & Educational Trust affiliate reduced catheter-associated urinary tract infections by 32% in non-intensive care units between March 2011 and November 2013, according to a study reported today in the New England Journal of Medicine. The “On the CUSP: Stop CAUTI” program also reduced catheter use by 1.3 percentage points, to 18.8%, by avoiding unnecessary or prolonged use and using alternative urinary collection methods. Catheter use and infections in participating ICUs were unchanged. “One possible explanation is the belief that patients who are ill enough to warrant admission to the ICU require close monitoring of urine output, which is an appropriate criterion for indwelling urinary catheters,” the authors note.

Related News Articles

Headline
AHA’s latest social media toolkit for spreading awareness of the flu focuses on the availability of the flu vaccine for at-risk, vulnerable populations as flu…
Headline
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Sept. 24 released its annual report on national sexually transmitted disease data, reporting a 9% decline in STD…
Headline
The flu hospitalization rate during the 2024-25 flu season was the highest since 2010-11, according to a report published Sept. 12 by the Centers for Disease…
Headline
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is predicting a similar combined number of peak hospitalizations from COVID-19, the flu and respiratory…
Headline
Randy Fagin, M.D., chief quality officer at HCA Healthcare, shares insights into the organization’s bold approach to improving safety outcomes. From piloting…
Headline
The AHA Quest for Quality Prize honors hospitals and health systems committed to leadership and innovation in improving quality and advancing health. Learn how…