Effectiveness of implementing a preventive urinary catheter care bundle in hip fracture patients

BACKGROUND: Urinary catheter (UC)–associated infections are one of the most common preventable healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and they frequently occur in older, frail populations. AIM: The study aim was to describe the incidence of UC-associated infection in elderly patients undergoing hip fracture surgery after implementing a preventive care bundle. METHODS: A longitudinal prospective study using a before-and-after design. The bundle was theory driven and involved the co-creation of a standard operational procedure, education and practical training sessions. Prospectively collected registry data were analysed. Univariable statistics and multivariable logistic regressions were used for analyses. RESULTS: 2,408 patients with an acute hip fracture were included into the study. There was an overall reduction in UC catheter associated-associated urinary tract infections, from 18.5% (n = 75/406) over time to 4.2% (n = 27/647). When adjusting for all identified confounders, patients in phase 4 were 74% less likely to contract an UC-associated infection (OR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.15–0.45, p < 0.0001). DISCUSSION: Bundled interventions can reduce UC-associated infections substantially, even in elderly frail patients. Partnership and co-creation as implementation strategies appear to be promising in the fight against HAI.