Researchers analyzed data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey on the use of urinary catheters in adults from 1995 to 2010. Urinary catheter use was deemed potentially avoidable if the ED visit diagnosis or patient disposition did not match any of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s list of appropriate indications for catheter use.
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They found 8.5 percent of ED-admitted adults received a urinary catheter, of which approximately 65 percent may have been avoidable.
Researchers identified predictors of potentially unnecessary catheter use in patients, including female sex, nonurban hospital location, lower patient severity and care provided by a midlevel provider.
Researchers suggest adhering to CDC guidelines on catheter use may help reduce the incidences of catheter-associated urinary tract infections.
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