Wiping Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections Away With Chlorhexidine Gluconate

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) continue to be a concern in health care. According to the Agency on Healthcare Research and Quality, the cost associated with a single CAUTI is estimated to be $13,793 on average but can be as high as $29,743. Decreasing CAUTIs through preventative strategies will benefit both the patient and the healthcare organization. There were limited studies utilizing 2% and 4% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) as an intervention for CAUTI prevention. There was also an insufficient research about indwelling catheters, also known as a Foley catheters, and use of CHG during bathing and indwelling catheter care outside intensive care and CHG benefits relating to indwelling catheter care. To address this issue, we developed and implemented a quality improvement project in an inpatient rehabilitation facility for patients requiring indwelling catheters by integrating Food and Drug Administration-approved CHG products to determine the effectiveness of using 2% versus 4% CHG during bathing and indwelling catheter care to decrease CAUTI occurrences. We observed two CAUTIs for the unit using 4% CHG and zero CAUTIs using the 2% CHG. CAUTIs were associated with chronic renal calculi, missed opportunities with bowel care management, and knowledge deficits of supplemental staff members.