OSE_1212_part2_Layout 1 12/5/12 9:53 AM Page 124
S T A M P I N G
O U T
S S I
S
possible. "The longer the catheter's in, the more likely you will see
harm from infection," says Dr. Hooton. Instituting a system of
removal reminders, through stop orders or EMR alerts, may be
advisable. And post-discharge follow-up is mandatory. "You
should always know about patients who have a fever after surgery," says Dr. Hooton. "It could be an SSI. Or it could be UTI."
Implementing these precautions will require staff education, and
possibly supervisory support. "There are expectations that CAUTI
should be largely preventable," says Dr. Safdar. "The critical thing
about infection prevention policy is, it needs to come from the
top. It takes motion from management to establish a protocol.
They have to show up." OSM
E-mail db ernard@outpatientsurg ery.net.
On the Web:
• CDC's CAUTI resources, including the "Guideline for Prevention
of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections, 2009":
tinyurl.com/d2wdyer
• IDSA's "Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment of CatheterAssociated Urinary Tract Infection in Adults: 2009 International
Clinical Practice Guidelines": tinyurl.com/brxgx7w
• SHEA's "Strategies to Prevent Catheter Associated Urinary
Tract Infections in Acute Care Hospitals," 2008:
tinyurl.com/cq6cwpc
1 2 4
O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | D E C E M B E R 2012
