Urinary tract infections drop in Michigan

Patients in Michigan hospitals are less likely than those in other U.S. hospitals to experience a urinary tract infection caused by a catheter, researchers say. Lead author Dr. Sanjay Saint of the University of Michigan, associate chief of medicine at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, said Michigan hospitals lead the way in using key prevention practices to reduce the number of catheter-associated urinary tract infection and also have lower rates of urinary tract infections. Saint said urinary tract infections are among the most common hospital-acquired infections in the United States. "Hospitals recognize that UTIs are a common, preventable and costly health issue but many still don't routinely use practices proven to prevent them," Saint said in a statement. "Michigan hospitals, which have taken the lead in applying low-tech practices aimed at timely removal of urinary catheters, are also proving to be leaders in reducing the risk of patient harm from UTIs." Saint and colleagues found Michigan hospitals were more likely than others to participate in efforts to reduce catheter-associated infections by using bladder-scanners as well as reminders -- or stop-orders -- to ensure catheter use was discontinued at an appropriate time. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine's Internal Medicine, found more frequent use of preventive practices coincided with a 25 percent reduction in urinary tract infection rates at Michigan hospitals compared to a 6 percent overall decrease experienced by other U.S. hospitals.