In an effort to help clinicians reduce the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), Medline Industries, Inc. today launched a ground-breaking Foley catheter management system featuring a reengineered catheter tray coupled with an evidence-based clinical education program. CAUTI, the most common healthcare-associated infection, accounts for 40 percent of all hospital-acquired infections.(1) Studies show that one in four patients receives an indwelling urinary catheter at some point during their hospital stay(2) and up to 50 percent of these catheters are placed unnecessarily.(3)
"Even though clinicians do their best to practice good aseptic techniques, infections happen due to poor technique or because the catheter is left in too long," said Alecia Cooper, RN, MBA, CNOR, Sr. Vice President, Clinical Services for Medline. "The ERASE CAUTI™ Foley catheter management system emphasizes evidence-based technique and training with a revolutionary designed tray to assist the clinician in using a proven and safe method for catheter insertion and maintenance."
In reengineering the Foley catheter tray, Medline focused on incorporating tools and tips for improving the insertion process to help minimize CAUTI risk. For example, the tray features an innovative one-layer design that guides the clinician through the process of placing the catheter while ensuring aseptic technique. (Typical catheter trays consist of two layers, requiring additional room to perform the procedure, increasing the risk of breaking the sterile field.) Visual reminders and cues are strategically placed to guide the clinician through the correct procedure.
"The new tray design, instructions, arrangement, and labeled components are designed to help make it hard for the worker to do the wrong thing," said Sue MacInnes, Chief Marketing Officer for Medline. "We worked very closely with clinicians to solicit their feedback on the tray design and incorporated their ideas and recommendations into the final product."
Key to the program's effectiveness is the use of the acronym ERASE, for which each letter triggers the next step in the proper use of the tray and promotes the recommended guidelines from leading industry experts, including the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Joint Commission.
The letters in ERASE stand for: