Catheter reduction programs do reduce use of catheters

(HealthDay)—Catheter reduction programs are associated with a reduction in the number of catheter days per 100 patient-days, according to a research letter published online June 17 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.

In an effort to examine the prevalence and indication for catheters, Christine Soong, M.D., from Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, and colleagues collected data on the total number of catheters, inpatient days, and indications for use from the bedside nurse or physician at each of nine Canadian teaching hospitals. The hospitals were classified based on the presence of active catheter reduction programs; more than half lacked such a program.

The researchers found that catheters were present on 13.6 percent of patient-days overall. Higher rates of catheter use overall and for potentially inappropriate indications were seen for centers without reduction programs. After adjustment for clustering, hospitals with a formal intervention had fewer catheter days per 100 patient-days compared to those without a formal intervention (9.8 versus 18.6; P = 0.03). Hospitals without catheter reduction programs had two-fold increased odds of a urinary catheter being present. There were no statistically significant differences in appropriate catheter use.

"Our study demonstrated that hospitals that employed control measures had reduced rates of catheter use suggesting that systematic, structured efforts are necessary to improve practice," the authors write.

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