Controlling Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections

This assignment analyzes an article about the challenges of preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) in Saudi Arabia. While acknowledging the article's focus on resource limitations and supply chain issues, the author critiques its omission of common CAUTI prevention strategies such as closed drainage systems, proper catheter insertion techniques, and unobstructed urine flow. The assignment emphasizes the importance of these often overlooked practices in reducing CAUTI incidence during hospital stays.

Running head: URINARY TRACT INFECTION
Urinary Tract Infection
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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URINARY TRACT INFECTION
In reply to this article, I would like to state that, the article has aptly highlighted the
complications that are associated with the effective prevention of catheter associated urinary
tract infections (CAUTI) in Saudi Arabia (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2015).
While discussing CAUTI, the article has taken the reference of King Fahad Specialist
Hospital in Dammam which is considered as the Ministry of Health as a flagship hospital.
This hospital has advanced grade oncology treatment unit in order to provide better benefits
to the cancerous patients. However, it has minimal recourses to control CAUTI which are
common among the neutropenic patients.
The article was successful in highlighting obstacles in controlling CAUTI. The article
has effectively thrown light on inadequate supply of the Foley Catheter Insertion Kits and
stringent custom rules that delays the supply of the Catheter Insertion Kits. Another reason
highlighted behind the increase in the incidence of the CAUTI is the long time hospital stay,
especially in the ICU (Sirkhazi et al. 2014).
However, the article has failed to highlight other common process that can be used to
control CAUTI. Some of the frequently used strategies that can be used to control UTI among
the patients during their hospital stay include: maintenance of closed drainage system,
avoidance of the floor contact of the urinary bag, period change of the indwelling catheters or
drainage bags and observance of aseptic insertion of the urinary catheter. Another curial fact
which the article failed to mention in regards to the CAUTI is: the urine flow must remain
unobstructed. Moreover, it is mandatory to place the urinary catheter above the thigh and the
urinary bag should always hang below the urinary bladder (Mehta et al. 2014).

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URINARY TRACT INFECTION
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015. Urinary tract infection (catheter-associated
urinary tract infection [CAUTI] and non-catheter-associated urinary tract infection [UTI])
and other urinary system infection [USI]) events. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Atlanta, GA: http://www. cdc. gov/nhsn/PDFs/pscManual/7pscCAUTIcurrent.
pdf.
Mehta, Y., Gupta, A., Todi, S., Myatra, S.N., Samaddar, D.P., Patil, V., Bhattacharya, P.K.
and Ramasubban, S., 2014. Guidelines for prevention of hospital acquired infections. Indian
journal of critical care medicine: peer-reviewed, official publication of Indian Society of
Critical Care Medicine, 18(3), p.149.
Sirkhazi, M., Sarriff, A., Aziz, N.A., Almana, F., Arafat, O. and Shorman, M., 2014.
Bacterial Spectrum, Isolation Sites and Susceptibility Patterns of Pathogens in Adult Febrile
Neutropenic Cancer Patients at a Specialist Hospital in Saudi Arabia. World Journal of
Oncology, 5(5), pp.196-203.