Using silver to reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections.
Many thousands of urinary tract infections (UTIs) are linked to the insertion of an indwelling urethral catheter (Saint et al 2000). Catheterisation is often prolonged unnecessarily (Saint et al 2002), thereby increasing the infection risk. In this audit of 133 medical and surgical patients who were catheterised in an acute NHS hospital trust, the potential of a new silver alloy hydrogel-coated catheter to reduce the rate of infection was demonstrated. Benefits were indicated in terms of reducing clinical risk to the patient and the financial costs associated with treating catheter-associated UTIs, representing a substantial cost saving for the NHS.
Gentry
Healther
H
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Infection Prevention and Control Department, Alexandra Hospital, Redditch, Worcestershire. heather.gentry@worcsacute.wmids.nhs.uk
Cope
Sarah
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017053:Infection Control / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012834:Silver / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013222:State Medicine; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*
D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D012834:Silver