A review of strategies to decrease the duration of indwelling urethral catheters and potentially reduce the incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

The use of indwelling urinary catheters in hospitalized patients presents an increased risk of the development of complications, including catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI). With regard to the risk of developing a CAUTI, the greatest factor is the length of time the catheter is in situ. The aim of this article is to review the evidence on the prevention of CAUTI, particularly ways to ensure timely removal of indwelling catheters. Published studies evaluating interventions to reduce the duration of catheterization and CAUTI in hospitalized patients were retrieved. The research identified two types of strategies to reduce the duration of indwelling urinary catheters and the incidence of CAUTI: nurse-led interventions and informatics-led interventions, which included two subtypes: computerized interventions and chart reminders. Current evidence supports the use of nurse-led and informatics-led interventions to reduce the length of catheterizations and subsequently the incidence of CAUTI.