Even with medical advances in infection prevention, UTIs account for 15% of all hospital-acquired infections. Of those, approximately 70% are associated with an indwelling catheter. CAUTI, catheter-associated UTI, is prevalent in hospitals because of the prolonged periods of a catheter, which increase the risk of bacteria and fungi entering the urinary tract.QuickChange Wraps are a solution to avoiding CAUTI, plus they are less invasive and easier and faster to apply. In contrast to catheters, they cost a fraction of what catheters do, and any staff (or caregiver) can put on the wrap. In this blog post, we examine the causes of CAUTI, what can help prevent an infection from occurring, and how QuickChange can be a great alternative over catheters for men.
The Different Type of Catheters
Before diving into CAUTI prevention, it’s essential to know about the different kinds of used catheters. Foley catheters: these sterile tubes are inserted into the bladder to drain urine. They’re also known as indwelling catheters. Condom catheters: these catheters are external and are worn like a condom. These collect urine as it drains out of the bladder.
What Causes CAUTI?
Treating catheters as “set it and forget it,” but to prevent CAUTI, there are many additional steps that need to be taken to minimize the possibility of infection. There are several reasons an infection develops during catheterization, all stemming from bacteria or fungi entering the urinary tract—this can happen at any time during catheterization.
The most common causes are:
- Contamination upon insertion
- Not emptying the drainage bag
- Not cleaning the catheter often enough
- Bacteria from bowels getting into the catheter
- Urine from the catheter bag flowing back into the bladder
- Nearly all healthcare-associated UTIs result from catheter use. If left untreated, UTIs can result in bloodstream infections. When left entirely untreated, these UTIs can lead to morbidity and mortality.
Condom Catheter
Ensuring that the catheter is regularly cleaned and not leaving the catheter in longer than necessary helps lower the risk of developing a CAUTI infection.
The Symptoms
CAUTI can be missed when someone is in the hospital; this is because the symptoms might be similar to the illness affecting the patient. CAUTI can exhibit similar symptoms to a UTI, but below is a list of the symptoms most commonly reported that may differ from a UTI:
- Chills
- Fever
- Cloudy urine
- Blood in urine
- Strong odor in urine
- Urine leakage
- Pressure, pain, or discomfort of lower back or stomach
- Fatigue
Diagnosing CAUTI
A urine test is used to diagnose CAUTI; the detection of blood cells in your urine may point to an infection. A healthcare professional will likely conduct a bladder ultrasound as well. With this ultrasound, they will be able to see if the bladder is distended or not. A distended bladder indicates that the Foley catheter is not functioning correctly. When this happens to the bladder, it puts the patient at risk for cystitis, septic shock, obstructive renal failure, and pyelonephritis.
Possible CAUTI Complications
Treating CAUTI right away is crucial, as an untreated UTI can lead to a serious kidney infection. Some of the catheterized patients are likely already dealing with a compromised immune system. A CAUTI infection can further affect their immune system, making the patient vulnerable to future infections. While these steps may help prevent infection, it is not foolproof.
- Washing hands before and after touching catheter or drainage bag
- Daily cleaning around the catheter
- Keeping patient hydrated
- Cleaning skin around catheter daily
- Keep drainage bag below bladder
- Emptying drainage bag several times a day
- Changing catheter once per month
The QuickChange Difference
Treating CAUTI right away is crucial, as an untreated UTI can lead to a serious kidney infection. Some of the catheterized patients are likely already dealing with a compromised immune system. A CAUTI infection can further affect their immune system, making the patient vulnerable to future infections. While these steps may help prevent infection, it is not foolproof.
While diapers can seem like a good alternative, they can wreak havoc on skin health if they aren’t regularly changed after soiling. Diapers trap heat and moisture. It allows urine to soak into the skin and even leads to urine mixing with feces and pooling under the buttocks. Another downside with diapers is that when used at busy hospitals, it takes more than one staff member to change the patient, leading to the patient not being changed regularly enough to avoid skin breakdown.
QuickChanges fold and wrap around the penis in seconds, and no adhesive is needed, making the wrap a non-invasive alternative. The wrap holds 500cc’s of urine, and on an average day, a person will evacuate 100cc’s. Due to our patented super absorbent polymer absorbs the urine quickly after voiding and a gel that quickly dries after it absorbs the urine, leaks are eliminated, and the risk of developing dermatitis is significantly lowered.
The wraps are entirely external, and they keep urine off the skin. QuickChanges work with every patient, including those with retracted penises, scrotal edemas, bariatric patients, burn patients, ambulating patients, bed-bound and chair-bound patients. For more ambulatory patients, QuickChanges should be paired with briefs. The wraps can also be used in conjunction with briefs on bed-bound patients with bowel and urinary incontinence, which is not considered double diapering. There are two significant benefits of using the QuickChange wrap even when bowel incontinence is present. Since urine is voided more often throughout the day, it makes it so the patient does not need to be lifted to change the user. The second benefit is maintaining skin integrity by preventing urine from pooling under the buttocks and breaking down the patient’s skin. On our website, you’re able to order a sample pack, and you can watch several videos on how to apply the wrap on different patients.
Sources:
CDC https://www.cdc.gov/hai/ca_uti/uti.html
Healthline https://www.healthline.com/health/catheter-associated-uti
Nursing E Journal https://nursing.ceconnection.com/ovidfiles/00004045-201207000-00006.pdf
