SHEA updates CAUTI prevention recommendations

Editor's Note

An update of the 2014 “Strategies to Prevent Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections [CAUTIs] in Acute-Care Hospitals” was published August 25 by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA).

The update, which is a collaborative effort led by SHEA, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the American Hospital Association, and The Joint Commission, includes recommendations that have been added, removed, or altered.

Updates to “essential practices” (these were “basic practices” in 2014) include:

• Implementation of evidence-based appropriateness criteria for indwelling catheter use
• Strategies for urine-culture stewardship and their impact on CAUTIs
• Performance measures highlighting the effects of catheter harm in addition to CAUTIs
• Limitations of external catheters.

Updates to “additional approaches” (these were “special approaches” in 2014) include:

• Considerations for injuries from catheter use and noncatheter-associated urinary tract infections
• Framework for “Disrupting the Life Cycle of Indwelling Urethral Catheter” to help reduce CAUTIs and trauma.

Unresolved issues include:

• Standard of care for routine replacement of catheters that have been in place for more than 30 days to prevent infections
• Best practices for implementation of CAUTI prevention and urine-culture stewardship.