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Running Head: EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE Evidence Based Practice and Applied Nursing Research Task 2 – XAP1-0219

Healthcare problem The healthcare problem is the high rate of catheter acquired urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) in adult patients. Hospital stay duration increases, hospital costs increase, antibiotic use increases, as well as morbidity and mortality increase when infections occur with the use of indwelling urinary catheters (IUC). Significance of the problem This problem is significant because CAUTI is the leading healthcare related infection in the world. Forty percent of all healthcare infections are related to urinary tract infections (UTIs) and three quarters of UTIs are linked to IUCs (Gesmundo, 2016). IUCs are used in about twenty five percent of all hospital patients. CAUTI rates have decreased from twenty-two-point three percent to as low as two point one nine infections per one thousand catheter days (Fasugba, 2017). However, the prevalence of CAUTIs could be lower. Current practice related to the problem Currently, there is no standardized CAUTI protocol for all healthcare facilities to adhere to. With UTIs being the leading healthcare related infection, it stands to reason that a standardized protocol would help reduce infection rates. Components of a CAUTI protocol that are frequently accepted as good practice include hand hygiene before and after catheter insertion, aseptic insertion technique, proper catheter maintenance, and catheter removal protocol (Hernandez, 2019). Impact of the problem and/or patient’s cultural background The healthcare facilities are impacted by this problem through an overall increase in costs. When a patient gets an infection at the hospital, it is associated with costs not covered by a patient’s insurance and therefore the hospital covers the expenses of a hospital acquired CAUTI. 2


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