Entering a No Diaper Zone: Rethinking Prevention of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection

Background Catheter-associated urinary tract infections are a leading hospital-acquired infection and are a major cause of increased morbidity, mortality, and health care costs, with 83% of pediatric cases occurring in pediatric intensive care units. Indwelling urinary catheters are widely used in adult and pediatric patients to accurately monitor urine output and manage fluid balance. Local Problem Staffing challenges and high nurse turnover in a 56-bed pediatric intensive care unit led to inconsistencies in practices to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infection. Stool contamination from diapers used alongside indwelling urinary catheters increased the risk of infection. Methods An interprofessional team designed a comprehensive catheter-associated urinary tract infection prevention strategy through plan-do-study-act cycles. Compliance was tracked through electronic surveys during catheter-associated urinary tract infection huddles, bedside infection prevention rounds, and bundle audits, with statistical process control charts used to measure infection rates before and after implementation of interventions. Interventions consisted of introduction of an exploratory no-diapering protocol, use of an advanced indwelling urinary catheter drainage system, and consistent staff reeducation. Results The rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infection decreased from 3.13 to 0 per 1000 catheter days, with 527 event-free days (about 1.5 years). Conclusion The combination of an advanced indwelling urinary catheter drainage system, elimination of diapers, and structured staff reeducation reduced the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infection in the pediatric intensive care unit. This approach has potential for application in both pediatric and adult critical care settings to reduce infection rates and improve patient outcomes.