The Effect of Implementing CAUTIs Bundle on Prevention of Hospital- Acquired Urinary Tract Infections among Critically Ill Patients

Background : Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are among the most common types of nosocomial infections. Approximately 30% of these cases have been reduced in the United States of America by using multidimensional preventive approaches including the CAUTIs bundle. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effect of implementing the CAUTIs bundle on the prevention of hospital-acquired urinary tract infection among critically ill patients. Method: A quasi-experimental research design was used with a convenience sample of 80 patients recruited from three intensive care units affiliated with an Egyptian University Hospital. The participants were randomly assigned either in the CAUTIs bundle group who received the CAUTIs bundle care or the traditional care group who received the routine care of the unit. Data were collected using three tools: urinary catheter insertion tool, urinary catheter maintenance checklist, and CAUTIs rate checklist. Results: The results revealed statistically significant differences between both groups regarding the implementation of insertion and maintenance bundles. implementation of the CAUTIs bundle has resulted in an approximately 50% decrease in the CAUTIs rate between the studied group. A low CAUTIs rate was noted among CAUTIs bundle patients (16.5 per 1000) than traditional care patients (30.7 per 1000). Conclusion and Recommendations: Implementation of the CAUTIs bundle was significantly effective in reducing the CAUTIs rates among critically ill patients. This urged the need for incorporating such bundle elements in patients' daily routine care in intensive care units. Further large-scale investigations are recommended to enrich the evidence related to urinary catheter care.