Interdisciplinary Team Reduces Infections of the Urinary Tract in Rehab Patients
A collaboration of physical therapists, nurses, educational staff and managers at a 300 bed Nebraska rehab hospital have been able to successfully use a collaborated effort in significantly reducing the number of infections that occurs from unclean urinary catheters. Infections arising from unclean contaminated urinary catheters are among the most common infections found in hospital institutions.
The team composed of personnel from many various fields came together at the Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital located in Lincoln. This hospital is among the largest rehab hospitals in America. The interdisciplinary team were able to reduce the figures of catheter related urinary tract infections by almost ninety percent across a period of 14 months. This is in accordance with what was stated by an abstract published at the APIC.
The interdisciplinary team was headed by Kristina Felix, CIC, BA, RN a previontionist. This team was able to lower the rate of infection by decreasing catheter use. Catheters are known to be a major source of many urinary tract infections. In the event that the use of catheters was absolutely necessary, the team made sure that nurses or other trained personnel were available to ensure that infection did not occur.
The team led by Felix was able to identify the core reasons for the use of catheters when it was medically necessary. The things that contributed to catheter use in some cases were patients that had been admitted into the hospital but were coming from some other medical institution where they already had their catheters in place. The team was able to enhance the standards and protocols in place in the hospital for bladder management by forming a balance between the medical requirements of the hospital patients and their requirement to remain infection free.