• To familiarise yourself with the various types of indwelling urinary catheter available
• To enhance your knowledge of potential complications of indwelling catheters, such as catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs)
• To understand the measures that you could implement in your practice to prevent CAUTIs
Indwelling urinary catheters are considered an important healthcare intervention for many patients. However, these devices must be used with caution because they are associated with a risk of various potential complications such as catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), as well as a financial burden for healthcare organisations. This article outlines the various types of indwelling catheter that are available, explains the reasons for their use, and details the care required to prevent associated complications, particularly CAUTIs.
Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2021.e11594
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software
Correspondenceann.b.wakefield@manchester.ac.uk
Conflict of interestNone declared
Wakefield A (2021) Use of indwelling catheters and preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2021.e11594
*The patient safety functions of the National Patient Safety Agency are now undertaken jointly by NHS England and NHS Improvement
Published online: 31 March 2021
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