Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is a Common Problem in the Medical Field

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is a Common Problem in the Medical Field
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common problem in the medical field with primary and secondary effects on the patients. UTI is an infection that affects the kidney, ureters, bladder, and urethra. However, among the UTI cases, 75% are associated with catheters (Ferguson, 2018). A catheter is a specific tube that health professionals for drain urine. Besides, approximately 20% of the patients are exposed to catheters due to urinary hospital complications. The critical risk factor is prolonged use of catheters which exposes the patients to premature mortalities and other secondary effects. CAUTI is the 4th leading health-related infection (Ferguson, 2018). CAUTI occurs among patients who experienced catheter insertion within two days before infection. Besides, 13000 annual deaths result from CAUTIs. The common effects of CAUTIs have increased mortality rates and patient discomfort. The infections are also costly; for instance, the US annual cost of addressing CAUTIs is $340 billion. Therefore, the listed effects and evidence of CAUTIs show that its management is appropriate and would positively restore the patient's health.
Additionally, the use of catheters is the major cause of increased health-related infections. The CAUTIs related deaths have risen since the catheters are used to reduce postoperative bladder dysfunction, retention, and incontinence. The catheters are also frequently used in measuring urinary output; thus, nurses have adequate information in managing them. Some highly risky patients are those suffering from spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis who must undergo surgeries and diuretics. Mainly, reducing CAUTIs requires adherence to best practices and guidelines to reduce exposing the patients to other risks. The key guidelines to reduce CAUTIs are continuous monitoring of urinary output among the patients suffering urinary incontinence and proper catheter insertion and maintenance. However, despite the guidelines, limited knowledge among nurses is a critical issue. Therefore, the paper focuses on nurse education as the suitable alternative to address CAUTIs and restore the health of the heavily affected patients nationally and globally.
Research problem and Clinical Question
I am interested in CAUTI prevention as my evidence-based practice project because it is the most common hospital-acquired infection. Besides, it causes an increase in unnecessary extended hospital stays related to contaminated specimens. Within the organization I practice, CAUTI is closely monitored by reviewing CAUTI usage daily and holding monthly CAUTI committee meetings. In my opinion, educating the nurses is optimal for preventing future occurrences. Improving technique by requiring a chaperone to ensure sterility during the procedure is the best way to prevent contamination. I believe that within the acute care setting, CAUTI is more prevalent. The prevailing occurrence within the acute care setting is related to nursing tasks and procedures completed with celerity. However, nurses completing their profession with extraordinary promptitude decrease sterile techniques in procedures such as catheterization leading to high infection rates. The goal is to di...