Appropriateness of indwelling urinary catheter use in medical inpatients: A prospective observational study

Abstract

Background: Indwelling urinary catheters (IUCs) are commonly used in hospitalized patients, but often for inappropriate indications. Aims: We aimed to study the appropriateness of IUC insertion among patients admitted under the department of medicine in a tertiary care hospital in southern India. We also studied the proportion of patients in whom the continued use of IUC was unjustified. Methods: During June–August 2019, we prospectively studied adult patients admitted to the emergency and medicine wards in whom an IUC was inserted in the past 48 hours. Appropriateness of catheter use was determined based on predefined criteria. Results: We studied 132 patients; 96 (72%) were male. IUC insertion was found to be inappropriate in 16 (12%) patients. The most common reason for inappropriate use was placing an IUC to monitor urine output in noncritically-ill patients (50%, 8/16). Of the 74 patients with appropriate indications for IUC insertion who were followed up, continued use of IUC was found inappropriate in 23 (31%) patients. In patients without appropriate indications for continued IUC use, the catheter remained in situ longer for a mean duration of 2.9 (95% confidence interval 1.0–4.7) days. Conclusion: More than one in ten IUC insertions were found to be inappropriate. Even when the insertion was appropriate, IUCs were not removed in time in about a third of patients. Institutional policies and physician engagement are urgently needed to promote the appropriate use of IUCs.