Types of Interventions

Infection prevention programs were slow to develop—they were a rarity as recently as the 1950s—but they have become a staple of modern-day hospitals. Great strides have been made in identifying clinician activities that can control or prevent various healthcare-associated infections. This chapter describes the contents of an infection prevention bundle for catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI). In the case of CAUTI, the so-called bladder bundle sets forth appropriate and inappropriate use of indwelling catheters. A nursing checklist, on paper or as a template in the electronic medical record, is used to track patients’ daily urinary catheter status. Doctors and nurses are asked to rethink when a Foley is called for, what alternatives should be considered, what catheter equipment should be used, and how long the Foley should remain in place.