Catheter care and infection control

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Catheter Care and Infection Control
   1. Meatal Cleansing
   2. Managing drainage systems
   3. Catheter Valves
   4. Taking catheter specimens of urine
   5. Catheter Care Bundles
   6. Troubleshooting catheter problems
   7. Bypassing
   8. Encrustation and blockage
3. Summary
4. References

Summary

- Indwelling urinary catheters should only be used when all other options have been considered. The risk of CAUTI increases by approximately 5% per day for the duration of the catheterisation

- NICE guidelines for the reduction of infection in urinary catheters have been updated in 2012, but many of the recommendations are based on expert consensus rather than research evidence.

- Practitioners should access available material and tools to assist with practice improvement in relation to urinary catheter care

- Practitioners encounter a range of different problems associated with long-term urinary catheters on a regular basis and need to be able to troubleshoot these common problems