The Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA) presented its prestigious
Quality and Patient Safety Award to Southeast Georgia Health System for
its project that reduced catheter-associated urinary tract infections
(CAUTIs). The project, titled “Why the Foley? Targeting Urinary
Catheter Utilization and Maintenance in the Journey to Decrease Catheter-Associated
Urinary Tract Infections,” received second place in the Hospitals/Health
Systems category. These annual awards recognize Georgia health care organizations
for achievement in reducing the risk of medical errors and improving patient
safety and medical outcomes.
After noticing a strong link between catheter use and increased CAUTIs,
the Southeast Georgia Health System Brunswick and Camden campuses set
a goal to reduce catheter use and increase compliance with the Foley catheter
maintenance bundle (FCMB) as part of a hospital-wide effort to reduce
CAUTIs. The FCMB is a standard combination of evidence-based best practices
hospitals can implement to prevent infections.
“The collaborative effort between infection control, medical staff,
nursing staff, and
administration
has been extremely successful in decreasing the unnecessary use of Foley
catheters,” said Steven F. Mosher, M.D., infectious disease specialist,
Infectious Disease Care Center, a strategic affiliate of Southeast Georgia
Health System. “As a result, the number of Foley
catheter associated
infections has significantly decreased.”
Clinical staff members were educated on the FCMB, which included proper
techniques for catheter insertion and maintenance as well as stopping
use
of the catheter as soon as possible. Thanks to the education, FCMB compliance
increased, resulting in a 14 percent decrease in catheter use and a 33
percent decrease in CAUTIs. There were no CAUTIs identified in areas outside
the intensive care unit.
“Infection prevention ensures the best patient care and is a priority
of hospitals statewide,” said Doug Patten, M.D., chief medical officer,
Georgia Hospital Association. “We applaud Southeast Georgia Health
System for its work in this area and for its efforts in providing the
best and safest care possible to its patients.”