CAUTI is one of the hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) that is preventable when a proper safety protocol is in place. The majority of these measures focus on hand hygiene, and the reason will be discussed below. This essay presents an overview of recent articles highlighting the efficiency in preventing CAUTI via handwashing techniques, especially in women after the Cesarean section.
The first article is “An intervention to improve the catheter-associated urinary tract infection rate in a medical intensive care unit: Direct observation of catheter insertion procedure” by Galiczewski and Shurpin. The article provides sufficient evidence that the increased access to antibacterial gel dispensers, surveillance of employees, and additional education decrease HAI transmission (Galiczewski & Shurpin, 2017). While the article does not address the target population directly, it delivers strong evidence regarding proper hand hygiene techniques that can lead to the change in practice.
The second paper to be reviewed is “Catheter-associated urinary tract infections in pregnant women” by Hussein et al. The article reveals that there is a chance for CAUTI transmission through the usage of contaminated disinfectants and instruments due to past interactions with them by medical personnel without proper handwashing (Hussein et al., 2019). This evidence highlights that hand hygiene must be applied not only during direct interaction with a patient but also when interacting with the environment, and I will change my practice accordingly.
The article “Prevention of catheter-associated urinary tract infection: What is the gap in clinical practice?” by Mota and Olivera analyzes the reasons behind the occurrence of CAUTI. Mota and Olivera (2019) state that handwashing must occur “before and after contact with the patient, before the aseptic procedure, after exposure to body fluids and after contact with areas close to the patient” (p. 3). The paper focuses on timings of handwashing when handling catheters, which are already included in my practice.
The fourth article, “An automated hand hygiene compliance system is associated with decreased rates of healthcare-associated infections,” by McCalla et al., discusses the link between proper hand hygiene and the risk of HAI. The authors highlight the reasons behind the settings for a wearable device that assists with handwashing, which provide an insight into an optimal handwashing method (McCalla et al., 2018). Despite its descriptive review of a handwashing process, the paper overly focuses on the assisting device. Evidence regarding the time spent near the sink and the amount of soap used can lead to changes in my practice.
The article by Moulton et al. titled “Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) after term cesarean delivery: Incidence and risk factors at a multi-center academic institution” reveals additional data on the risk factors related to CAUTI. The article shows that timely and proper handling of catheters and extra safety during blood transfusion and operation decrease the rate of CAUTI (Moulton et al., 2017). However, the article does not provide a direct link with the handwashing techniques. Overall, the paper shows which procedures and current guidelines introduce the highest risks of CAUTI but do not include sufficient evidence for practice change.
The last article is “Sustained effects of a multimodal campaign aiming at hand hygiene improvement on compliance and healthcare-associated infections in a large gynaecology/obstetrics tertiary-care centre in Vietnam” by Phan et al. It shows the direct results of the adherence to the WHO hygiene protocols, the increase in the frequency of handwashing, and the usage of alcohol-based hand rub help with CAUTI prevention (Phan et al., 2020). This evidence implies the need for changes in my practice. The article refers to the studies on the infection rates after Cesarean sections, although it does not expand on the topic, which slightly weakens the impact of its results.
In conclusion, these articles provide strong evidence that can be compiled into an efficient handwashing technique. In practice, this technique can address all risk factors associated with the transmission of CAUTI, especially in women with Cesarean section. These methods are applicable to other situations and are beneficial for patients’ overall safety in many settings. Further research of the topic can expand the knowledge of the prevention of HAIs.
References
Galiczewski, J. M., & Shurpin, K. M. (2017). An intervention to improve the catheter-associated urinary tract infection rate in a medical intensive care unit: Direct observation of catheter insertion procedure. Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, 40, 26-34. Web.
Hussein, H. A., Hassan, L. J., Al-Alawachi, S. F., Al-Alawachi, M. S., & Al-Alawachi, A. S. (2019). Catheter-associated urinary tract infections in pregnant women. Journal of University of Babylon for Pure and Applied Sciences, 27(6), 231-243. Web.
McCalla, S., Reilly, M., Thomas, R., McSpedon-Rai, D., McMahon, L. A., & Palumbo, M. (2018). An automated hand hygiene compliance system is associated with decreased rates of healthcare-associated infections. American Journal of Infection Control, 46(12), 1381-1386. Web.
Mota, É. C., & Oliveira, A. C. (2019). Prevention of catheter-associated urinary tract infection: What is the gap in clinical practice? Texto & Contexto – Enfermagem, 28. Web.
Moulton, L., Lachiewicz, M., Liu, X., & Goje, O. (2017). Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) after term cesarean delivery: Incidence and risk factors at a multi-center academic institution. The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine, 31(3), 395-400. Web.
Phan, H. T., Zingg, W., Tran, H. T., Dinh, A. P., & Pittet, D. (2020). Sustained effects of a multimodal campaign aiming at hand hygiene improvement on compliance and healthcare-associated infections in a large gynaecology/obstetrics tertiary-care centre in Vietnam. Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, 9(1). Web.